Group of journalists from across the Americas condemns press violations in Latin America, US

October 24, 2013

By Associated Press

DENVER — A group representing journalists from across the Americas condemned violations of press freedoms in both Latin America and the United States on Tuesday, including the killings of 14 journalists, the secret seizure of Associated Press phone records and a new censorship law in Ecuador.

The Inter American Press Association also cited the large-scale government acquisition of media outlets in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina as well as advertising restrictions in Argentina aimed at hurting independent media outlets as among the worst problems of the last six months during the final day of its 69th general assembly in Denver.

In addition to the 14 journalists killed in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, Ecuador, Honduras and Paraguay, statutes of limitations for prosecuting the killers of 17 journalists in Colombia and Mexico in previous years is expiring this year, IAPA said in its annual declaration.

Ecuador’s gag law, which took effect in June, created government bodies that have the power to control media ownership, censor content and define who may be a journalist. IAPA asked President Rafael Correa to seek an advisory opinion on the law from the Inter-American Human Rights Court as well as Ecuador’s constitutional court to consider petitions against it.

The press group called on Venezuela to end judicial persecution of journalists and media executives and to allow media outlets access to foreign currency so they can buy vital supplies such as newsprint.

Regarding the secret seizure of AP’s phone records, IAPA called upon the U.S. Justice Department “to vigorously adopt and comply” with proposed department guidelines to ensure advance notice is given the media in similar cases. The records were seized in 2012 as part of an investigation to find the source of an AP story about the foiling of an attempt to bomb a U.S.-bound airliner, but AP was only notified about the seizure this year. Read more in the Washington Post.

When requesting leniency for his client, defence counsel Damien Colgan SC told Judge Patrick McCartan that a number of newspaper reports claiming that Byrne had acted on behalf of suspected criminal figures, could mean “his own personal safety could become an issue”.

During today’s sentencing hearing, Colgan had questioned lead garda investigator Detective Sergeant Paschal Walsh on a number of claims made in the media since Byrne’s conviction, specifically that he had acted for individuals investigated by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). The Journal

Fire catches at media city studio

An electric short circuit sparked a fire, destroying a studio at the Egyptian Media Production City, initial forensic finds discovered.

Fire brigades moved to the scene in order to prevent the flames from extending to neighboring facilities.

EMPC is home for several satellite channels as well as vast filming locations. It has witnessed a number of protests last year and early this year by supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsy who denounced media hosts highly critical of the fallen regime.

Bangkok prepares for Global Movement on Media and Gender

BANGKOK: Despite the ongoing anti-government protests and violence that has dominated the news out of Bangkok, its Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel is bustling with excitement, enthusiasm and activities as delegates arrive to participate in the first ever 3-day Global Forum on Media and Gender scheduled to begin today.

The organisers are confident that despite the disturbances, they will attract a big group of experts to deliberate on this crucial aspect for shaping the media with a gender perspective. The Forum is the beginning of a global movement, one of the main objectives is to form a Global Alliance for Media and Gender (GAMG). The News.

Maher, Weiner Get in Crazy Shoutfest with GOP Guest Over Obamacare

Bill Maher and Anthony Weiner battled Real Time panelists GOPAC president David Avella and Victoria DeFransceco Soto over the media coverage of Obamacare and President Obama‘s apology for the botched rollout, with Weiner and Maher charging that however bad the rollout may have been, the Republicans had effectively no plan to deal with the health care crisis in the first place.

Whereas Maher thought the media’s been doing a crappy job not reporting the facts to people about the lower costs and better options of health care plans, Avella said they’re not doing their due diligence to report on the “hundreds of thousands of people who are losing their health care.” Weiner shot back that Obamacare came from Republicans in the first place, shouting “That’s your idea! Why don’t you like it now that we wrote it into law?!”

Soto found it a huge mistake that Obama waited weeks before apologizing and explaining the faulty “if you like your plan you can keep your plan” line, and when Weiner pushed back, she said, “You’re being paternalistic here.” She argued that Obama’s apology was too little, too late, at which point Maher cried, “When did Bush ever say he was worry!” Mediaite.

Libertarian Startup TV Network JAGTV Launches Crowdfunding Campaign

Los Angeles, CA, November 09, 2013 --(PR.com)-- While others simply complain about media bias, a group of liberty-minded entrepreneurs is determined to do something about it. The folks behind JAGTV have banded together to build a network catering to the growing but under-served audience of fiscally conservative but socially liberal viewers.

The startup is reaching outside the usual establishment funding sources to solicit $150,000 in grassroots contributions via Indiegogo. These funds will support its Phase One activities: Further pilot development, market research, focus groups, securing top production talent, advertising, and organization.

“Most people are libertarians – they just don't know it yet. We want to create a platform for libertarian-leaning and libertarian-curious viewers who today have almost no relevant cable broadcast products and extremely few high-quality outlets online," said JAGTV Founder and CEO Jennifer Grossman. “We envision a network that offers a mix of lifestyle, entertainment, and current affairs programming reflecting the values of free minds, free spirits, and free enterprise." PR.com.

Simon & Schuster Pulls Discredited Benghazi Book

Simon & Schuster has pulled The Embassy House after author "Morgan Jones" (real name Dylan Davies) was exposed as giving contradictory statements about his whereabouts on the night of the 2012 Benghazi attacks. Earlier today, 60 Minutes reporter Lara Logan apologized for airing Davies' account in an October 27 report.

Threshold Editions, a conservative imprint of Simon & Schuster, said in a statement from spokesperson Jennifer Robinson: "In light of information that has been brought to our attention since the initial publication of THE EMBASSY HOUSE, we have withdrawn from publication and sale all formats of this book, and are recommending that booksellers do the same. We also are notifying accounts that they may return the book to us."

Threshold Editions released The Embassy House on October 29, two days after 60 Minutes ran a segment featuring Davies and his claims about his activities on September 11, 2012. The 60 Minutes report rehashed old myths about Benghazi, including the debunked claim that there's a "lingering question" about why no U.S. military forces from outside the Libya were able to help the diplomatic facilities. Media Matters.

The Washington Times has announced that it will no longer run Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) regular columns, after one of them was found to have contained material that was apparently plagiarized.
Paul's Times column is the latest example in a string of plagiarism allegations. Paul's speeches and his 2013 book were previously reported to contain language that had appeared on Wikipedia, an AP report and on conservative Web sites.
A Paul adviser on Tuesday cited staff error for the lack of citations and failure to attribute the material. Paul is considered a leading contender for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Washington Post.

India: Poll panel all set to snuff out paid news syndrome

In a bid to curb the menace of paid news in the media during the upcoming Assembly polls in the five states, the Election Commission has roped in senior academics, government information officials and even some journalists to keep tabs on the media houses and their poll coverage.

Those made members of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMC) in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Delhi include journalism professors, information officers from the Central services and senior journalists. And the committees would monitor political advertisements on the TV channels as well as political analyses and flag instances of paid news in both the electronic and print media.

In Rajasthan, the Chief Electoral Officer has included Indian Information Service officer Ritu Shukla in the MMCC to deal with the advertisements of the political parties and the contesting candidates. The New Indian Express.

Election Night Ratings: Fox News Tops Cable News Networks

An easy election night win for Fox News, which topped the competition with 2,729,000 total viewers and 593,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime Tuesday. MSNBC was second with 1,035,000 total viewers and 244,000 A25-54 viewers, and CNN was third with 664,000 and 224,000 viewers, respectively.

Both MSNBC and CNN saw their highest ratings in the 9pmET hour: Rachel Maddow‘s program delivered 1,267,000 total viewers and 313,000 A25-54 viewers, while Piers Morgan‘s show had 734,000 and 239,000 viewers, respectively. Fox News peaked in total viewers at 8pmET and in the demo at 9pmET. Megyn Kelly‘s “The Kelly File” was the top-rated cable news show in the demo last night, delivering 653,000 viewers, a high for the show.

All three networks were up significantly compared to their Q3 2013 averages. MSNBC was up the most (+78%) in total viewers, while Fox News saw the biggest gains (+109%) in the demo. This was the lowest off-year election night ratings for CNN since at least 2001. TVNewser.

Media has neither been gagged nor can ever be: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today sought to play down the issue of advisory issued to TV channels by the Union government, saying the media has neither been gagged nor it can ever be.

"I have nothing to do with it- or what Narendra Modi says -- you can pose this question to Central government -- As far as my information is --I don't think you people (Media) have any ban and neither anybody can impose ban on your," he said here.

"Media has neither been gagged nor can be gagged", Omar told reporters when asked about advisory of the Union government to TV Channels.

In an advisory issued on October 21, the Information and Broadcasting ministry had asked TV channels that when the Prime Minister or the President on a national day like August 15 or January 26, make an address, it should be taken with sensitivity. DNA India.

CBS News Admits Ethics Violation In Benghazi Report

CBS News correspondent Lara Logan confessed that the network "erred" by failing to disclose the financial connection it shared with the subject of a widely criticized 60 Minutes report on the 2012 Benghazi attacks. But the network's admission of an ethics violation did not extend further, and Logan issued a general defense of the report's accuracy without addressing the persisting questions that surround the report's source's conflicting accounts of the night of the attacks.

On November 5, The New York Times reported that Logan and CBS News were standing by the network's Benghazi reporting, despite a stark admission by Logan that the network made a "mistake" in its failure to disclose that a subsidiary of CBS was publishing a book written by the report's source, Dylan Davies. Jeffrey Fager, chairman of CBS News and executive producer of 60 Minutes, added that he regretted keeping the connection under wraps. Media Matters.

David Miranda challenges his UK detention

David Miranda, Glenn Greenwald’s partner, was in a UK court today challenging the legality of his nine-hour detention at Heathrow under anti-terror laws in August and requesting the return of confiscated material.

Under tough questioning from a three-judge panel, Miranda argued that the UK government illegally detained him and that the materials he was carrying were protected.

Greenwald is the ex-Guardian journalist who first broke the story of NSA spying with a trove of materials from whistleblower Edward Snowden. Miranda was carrying copies of materials related to the story from Berlin back to Brazil, where he lives with Greenwald, when UK police stopped him during a layover in London. Columbia Journalism Review.

TV Ratings: Election Coverage Gives Fox News’ Megyn Kelly a New Best

It may not have been the most eventful election, but Tuesday's off-year races in a handful of states brought lifted ratings for cable's big three news networks.

Megyn Kelly, a month into her new primetime series, reaped the biggest ratings rewards. The Kelly File averaged 2.87 million viewers and 654,000 adults 25-54 during the 9 p.m. hour. It marks a demo best for the young broadcast, which saw last night's episode be the first to call Virginia's tight gubernatorial race in favor of Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

Competition Rachel Maddow on MSNBC was also up significantly, averaging second place in both measures with 1.267 million viewers and 313,000 adults 25-54. Embattled CNN, which saw multiple lows in the last week, was also up -- though not with the customary election dominance it tends to see. The network placed third in both measures, with Piers Morgan taking in 734,000 viewers and 224,000 in the demo. The Hollywood Reporter.

Indian media applaud Mars mission launch

The successful launch of India's Mars mission has been covered extensively by the Indian media and many people have taken to social media sites to applaud Indian space scientists on their achievement.

"A day after the last of Diwali rockets was fired in this part of the country, 'the big one' blasted off from the first launch pad in Sriharikota on Tuesday afternoon, firing the ambition of a nation, and the imagination of many others," says the lead story on The Times of India website. BBC.

Indian Mars mission hailed as ‘symbolic coup against China’ by US media

Washington: India’s successful launch of its Mars mission has been described by the mainstream American media as “technological leap” and “a symbolic coup” against China in this field. “If it succeeds, India’s Mars mission would represent a technological leap for the South Asia nation, pushing it ahead of space rivals China and Japan in the field of interplanetary exploration,” The Wall Street Journal wrote yesterday. “A successful mission by India’s Mars orbiter would make the country the first Asian nation to reach the Red Planet - and provide a symbolic coup as neighbouring China steps up its ambitions in space,” the CNN reported, adding that this has given further credence to claims of an intensifying space race developing in Asia, with potentially dangerous ramifications. FirstPost.World.

India's Election Commission recently published a set of guidelines for the use of social media in political campaigns, requiring that candidates declare the amount of funds spent on social media campaigning and pre-certify their political advertisements, among other requirements. The new rules, sprung on political campaigners less than a month before the scheduled elections, have had mixed reception, with some saying that the rules do not go far enough.

The new guidelines, outlined and analyzed here by an Indian news analysis site, MediaNama, state that candidates must register all official social media accounts so that they can be authenticated, in order to prevent others from faking the politician's identity online. They must also submit their online campaigning expenditures and have all political advertisements, even those released on social media, pre-certified by the Election Commission. The guidelines also stipulate that public funds cannot be used to fund digital campaigns. Finally, candidates must abide by a “Model Code of Conduct” online, which forbids “any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic,” and other “corrupt practices,” like bribing voters and canvassing near polling stations. TechPresident.

Reality check: Most Americans don’t get their news on Twitter

Most Americans don’t get their news on Facebook. It turns out the same is true for Twitter.

A new survey by the Pew Research Center found that about 8 percent of U.S. adults get news through Twitter. Of the 16 percent of U.S. adults with Twitter accounts, a little more than half (52 percent) of them “ever” get news on the microblogging site.

Pew’s study defined “news” as “information about events and issues that involve more than just your friends or family.” Upstart Business Journal.

Nigerian ambassador lashes out at media for biased coverage

Panaji: Nigerian Ambassador Ndubuisi Vitus Amaku on Wednesday lashed out at the media alleging bias in the press coverage of the murder of a Nigerian national in Goa. "The situation we are in is somewhat volatile. This is an issue both governments have to address mutually through diplomatic channels and not talk through media. I have not had a word with the Goa DG," the Nigerian ambassador said. The Ministry of External Affairs has reacted after a Nigerian complaint. Subsequent to the discussion with Nigerian High Commission over the matter, the MEA have got in touch with the Chief Secretary of Goa and have been assured that investigation is underway. IBN Live.

Iran Culture Minister Wants Social Media Ban Lifted

Iran’s government should legalize access to social-networking websites including Twitter and Facebook, Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Ali Jannati said.
“Not only Facebook, but other social networks should be accessible and the illegal qualification should be removed,” Jannati said, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.
Iran currently blocks access to websites it considers politically sensitive and to social-networking sites, which activists used in 2009 to organize street protests after a disputed presidential vote. President Hassan Rouhani, who was elected in June and has a Twitter account with more than 122,000 followers, has pledged to allow more social and press freedom and reduce state “policing” of Iranians’ private lives. Bloomberg News.

Mali Official: 5 Held In French Journalist Deaths

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — French troops who found the bodies of two slain French radio journalists in northern Mali followed footprints in the sand near the corpses to hunt their abductors, part of a search that eventually led to five arrests Monday, a Mali military official said. He added that the kidnappers' vehicle had broken down, possibly prompting their decision to kill the captives.

The director of Radio France Internationale confirmed multiple arrests had been made, although French government authorities gave no confirmations. What remained unclear was who the kidnappers were, and whether they had ties to ethnic Tuareg separatists or al-Qaida militants active in the region.

The slayings of Ghislaine Dupont, 51, a senior correspondent, and Claude Verlon, 58, a production technician, stunned France and were an unheard of assault on Western journalists in Mali, where a French-led military operation this year aimed to clear out Islamic extremists who had taken over the vast north. NPR.

Social media pokes fun at Toronto mayor’s admission to smoking crack

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's admission that he likely did smoke crack cocaine "during a drunken stupor" has sparked a social media sensation.
The hashtag #inoneofmydrunkenstupors soon started trending on Twitter, as users swapped hilarious tales of their most embarrassing memories while under the influence.

Scores of user admitted their dastardly deeds while inebriated, with G-rated mentions including, "I did the running man in the middle of one of those wedding floor dance circles," "I considered buying a pair of Uggs" and "I once posted 5 selfies in an hour."
Ford finally came clean Tuesday that he did indeed smoke the substance — after video reportedly emerged in May of the politician's illegal acts. New York Daily News.

In a second episode of apparent “checkbook journalism” in a week, NBC News has locked up exclusive interviews and amateur footage of an aerial accident with a six-figure fee to a group of sky divers who survived the collision of their two small planes.

NBC’s news division has agreed to compensate the nine sky divers and two pilots who were involved in the accident for an appearance on Tuesday’s “Today” show, a story on “NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams” and a one-hour “Dateline NBC” special.

The deal involves TV interviews and footage of the stricken planes taken by some of the sky divers’ helmet cameras, according to Mike Robinson, a sky-diving instructor who was involved in the incident near Lake Superior in northwest Wisconsin. Washington Post.

CNN Ratings Fall as Health Care Coverage Rises

CNN provided heavy coverage last week of the troubled introduction of the website tied to the Affordable Care Act. The result was the lowest weekly ratings for CNN in more than a year.

Did that mean people didn’t want to hear wall-to-wall coverage of the failure of the site? Maybe not, if they were viewers already committed to the one of the partisan corners: Both Fox News and MSNBC did far better last week, with heavy coverage of issues related to the health care law.

But CNN, which led most of its news hours last week with reporting related to the site’s inadequacies, drew little interest from viewers, even on the day that Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of Health and Human Services, testified in Congress and took many hostile questions from Republican representatives. New York Times.

Rather not invited to join CBS Kennedy coverage

NEW YORK, N.Y. – CBS News hasn’t invited Dan Rather back to participate in its 50th-anniversary coverage of the Kennedy assassination, but images of the longtime anchor who parted bitterly with the network will be a part of its upcoming documentary on how the story unfolded that day.

Rather helped organize CBS’ plans for President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, and as a young reporter was a key component of assassination coverage. Now 82, with his own show on AXS-TV, he’s one of the few reporters on the story that day still active in journalism.

Rather, who later became CBS News’ top anchor for 24 years, will appear on NBC’s “Today” show on Nov. 22 this year. Metro News.

During his acceptance speech, Schieffer discussed the "revolution in communications" and the resulting "crisis in journalism." CBS News.

Argentina court rules controversial media law constitutional

Argentina's Supreme Court has ruled that a media bill passed in 2009 is constitutional - clearing the way for the break-up of large media groups.

The country's biggest broadcasting and newspaper company, Clarin, had appealed against the law proposed by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Critics say the bill is an attempt to silence opposition voices in Argentina.

Supporters say it will boost pluralism and reduce the dominance of big corporate interests. BBC.

Wheeler confirmed as head of FCC

The Federal Communications Commission finally has a full roster.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed venture capitalist Thomas Wheeler to head the FCC and, as a commissioner, Mike O'Rielly, who had been an advisor to Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn, R-Tex. President Obama nominated Wheeler in April after then-FCC chairman Julius Genachowski announced that he would step down in June.

O'Rielly will replace Commissioner Robert McDowell who left in May. The five-member commission, which has been led by acting chairwoman Mignon Clyburn, has been at less than full strength since then. USA Today.

MSNBC’s New Website Launches

The new MSNBC.com is finally here.

The network formally launched its own website on Tuesday, MSNBC president Phil Griffin announced in a email to the company on Tuesday.

"Some of you have been hearing about it for months – others for years – but I’m delighted to say the day has finally arrived." Griffin wrote. "For the first time in 17 years we have our own digital home, and starting this afternoon you can type in “msnbc.com” into your browser to see what all the excitement has been about." Huffington Post.

Social media’s sway on elections ‘growing’

Social media is not a vital factor in winning an election, but political parties should not ignore its importance, a seminar in Bangkok was told yesterday.

However, social media helped the party gain votes from young and first-time voters, he said. According to Schuler, in 2009, 4.2 million Germans used Facebook - but the number increased to 25.3 million in 2013. So his party paid more attention to campaigning through social media. Jakarta Post.

Russia irked by lack of Syria rebels’ chemical attack coverage

Russia has expressed its indignation over the lack of coverage that western media have offered to the report on Syrian rebels using chemical weapons against local Kurdish community.

Alexei Pushkov, a Russian lawmaker and chief of the Parliament’s foreign affairs committee, has drawn attention to the media blackout on the gassing in the Kurdish city of al-Hasakah in Syria's northeast.

According to the Beirut-based TV channel al-Mayadeen, Islamist insurgents attacked yesterday the settlement in the Kurds-dominated region of Ras al-Ain, however the news appeared in the media a day later.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_10_30/Russia-irked-by-lack-of-Syria-rebels-chemical-attack-coverage-9283/ The Voice of Russia.

EC’s social media monitoring might be too big a task

The Election Commission’s recent move to monitor political parties campaigning on the web is likely to come a cropper due to operational challenges. The commission is planning to consult social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook for a way forward.

Last week, in a communication to political parties, the commission had asked them to provide details of their social media accounts and the expenditure incurred on web advertising and secure the commission’s approval before posting advertisements online. The new guidelines are to be implemented for the coming Assembly elections and for the Lok Sabha elections next year. Business Standard.

Journalist Glenn Greenwald may report more surveillance secrets

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The biggest national security breach in U.S. history was a warm-up for Glenn Greenwald. The former Guardian columnist who published Edward Snowden’s revelations is to launch a well-funded news outlet with a priority to share secrets from the world of surveillance, raising fears that U.S. national security will suffer.

Pierre Omidyar, the founder and chairman of eBay, has pledged a minimum $250 million to the “mass media organization” and specifies a focus on “government transparency and accountability”. Along with Greenwald, fellow NSA publisher Laura Poitras will be a founding member, as well as Jeremy Scahill, the man who exposed the Blackwater scandal in Iraq (when security contractors killed 17 civilians) and CIA torture practices. -

Leveson report: Press regulation plans face legal challenge

A newspaper industry group is to seek a judicial review after its regulation plans were rejected earlier this month.

The Privy Council, which rejected the industry plans, had been expected to rubber stamp a plan agreed by the main Westminster parties in the next week.

Opponents say this plan could result in the end of the free press and hope the legal move will delay its approval but the government says it will push ahead. BBC.

A Liberal Parts Ways With Fox

Sally Kohn, one of the Fox News Channel’s most visible liberal pundits, parted ways with the network this week and turned up almost immediately on one of its rivals — MSNBC.

MSNBC wasted no time booking her Tuesday evening to discuss a commentary she had written for the FoxNews.com site, “I was an ObamaCare Guinea Pig.” The article praised the new health care insurance program for saving her family money in the coming year and drew a favorable Twitter post on Tuesday from President Obama’s account.

Ms. Kohn, 36, declined to comment. A Fox News spokeswoman called it “a gracious and amicable parting,” and said Ms. Kohn’s one-year contract with the network expired at the end of 2012. New York Times.

Time Warner Cable Reaches Agreement to Distribute Al Jazeera America

Time Warner Cable, one of the country’s biggest cable operators, has agreed to carry Al Jazeera America, giving the Qatar-owned broadcaster exposure to millions more households as it seeks to build an audience in the United States.

The contract, to be announced on Thursday, is vital for Al Jazeera because Time Warner Cable supplies television to millions of households in New York and Los Angeles, two essential markets. Al Jazeera America will be added to the channel lineups in those markets this year, and in Time Warner Cable’s other markets by March. New York Times.

Petition protests firing of AP staffers

A petition surfaced online Tuesday calling for the reinstatement of three journalists fired after the Associated Press retracted a story detailing alleged misconduct by Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.

Members of the News Media Guild, which represents AP journalists, technicians, and support personnel, circulated the petition. Jim Romenesko posted it in its entirety on his blog Tuesday afternoon.

“It was only a matter of time before the severe under-staffing of AP bureaus across the country and the unrealistic demands put upon them combined to create a high-profile error,” the petition says. “And when it did, AP management grossly overreacted.”

Reached by phone, Guild President Martha Waggoner said the petition that appeared on Romenesko was an unfinished draft, although she hesitated to call it a “leak,” chalking the premature release up to the result of a large email list full of journalists. Columbia Journalism Review.

College newspaper fires editor who it says plagiarized ‘from at least 22 sources’

The Criterion of Colorado Mesa University fired its online editor “after learning that as many as 16 of the opinion pieces she has written since October 2012 contain content plagiarized from at least 22 sources,” the paper writes in an unbylined piece that doesn’t name the editor.

“So far, The Criterion’s editorial staff has determined that the former Online Editor plagiarized content from Alternet, The Associated Press, Backlash.com, The Chicago Reader, CollegeNews.com, E! Online, Jezebel.com, The National Post, The New York Daily News,The New York Post, the web portal Philly.com, Scene-Stealers.com, Slate, The St. Paul Pioneer Press, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post,” the post says.

The post says The Criterion will “divulge any and all pertinent information as it comes to light” and asks anyone aware of additional plagiarism to contact Editor-in-Chief Levi Meyer. Poynter.

Germany raps media bias about Bahrain

MANAMA: A top German delegation yesterday acknowledged Bahrain's secure atmosphere, slamming biased international media for spreading a distorted image of the kingdom.

"The government has created a solid ground for economic work and investments to bounce back," the Arab-German Friendship Association delegation said.

This came as they met His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday.

"The image spread by international media about Bahrain is distorted and detached from reality," they said. They also stressed that they realised the reality of the situation during their visit. Gulf Daily News.

BJP using social media for character assassination: Nitish Kumar

In a dig at BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today alleged that "divisive forces" were using social media as tool for "character assassination" and spread of intolerance towards things they did not like.

"When famous economist Amrtya Sen praised Bihar model of development, divisive forces hailing from a party led a campaign on social media to assassinate his character," he said at a book release function here.

"Their intolerance towards things they do not like reminds of days of Emergency in 1975 when freedom of speech was throttled," Kumar said. DNA India.

Kirchner stifling news media in Argentina

While visiting Argentina a few years ago, just as president Néstor Kirchner was defending the biggest default in history, I saw a televised government message that concluded with the phrase, “Argentina . . . A serious country” ( “Un país en serio”). At the time, I dismissed the ad as more farcical than Orwellian, thinking that a government more obsessed with its image than with reality is its own worst enemy. Unfortunately, such a regime finds enemies elsewhere — starting with any independent journalist or media outlet that refuses to toe the party line.

The Kirchner-controlled congress propagated a media law in 2009 aimed at silencing such critics. President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (successor and, now, widow of Néstor) claimed that the measure served the public interest by breaking up powerful monopolies in the communications sector. By requiring the Clarín media conglomerate and others to divest themselves of lucrative cable television licenses, the government will achieve its real objective of muzzling independent newspaper, television and radio outlets. Miami Herald.

Judge stalls sale of Boston Globe to Red Sox owner John Henry

Oct 22 (Reuters) - A Massachusetts judge has temporarily blocked the sale of The Boston Globe and Telegram & Gazette to Boston Red Sox owner John Henry because it could complicate a pending class action lawsuit, according to court documents.

The New York Times Co had been due to seal the reported $70 million deal for the papers and related businesses with Henry on Friday, nearly three months after it was first announced.

Judge Shannon Frison of Worcester Superior Court issued the order on Friday after lawyers said the sale could interfere with a lawsuit against the Telegram & Gazette filed by the newspaper's carriers, in which they are seeking status as employees instead of contractors. Reuters.

Jon Huntsman Lands a Radio Gig

Another Huntsman. Another political media gig. Former 2012 GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman has signed on to host a weekly radio program on SiriusXM's POTUS channel, following daughter Abby's lead into the land of political media. She currently co-hosts The Cycle on MSNBC

Huntsman's show will be called "No Labels Radio with Jon Huntsman" and the former Utah governor and U.S. Ambassador to China will bring on guests to discuss bipartisan solutions for breaking up the gridlock in Washington. US News.

NEW DELHI: Ahead of parliamentary elections, Congresshas changed tack on its media strategy. It is no longer relying solely on senior leaders for briefing and training its spokespersons.

On party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's insistence, the party has brought in media strategists to provide professional inputs at brainstorming sessions. Apart from daily morning discussions on political issues, these strategists have been sharing the industry's point of view on important economic issues.

The induction of professionals into the party's media strategising has seen the comeback of Rajiv Desai,founder of I-PAN public relations agency, who used to advise exprime minister Rajiv Gandhi on media matters during parliamentary elections. The Economic Times.

Coulter: Conservative media should be helping GOP

Washington, D.C.– Speaking at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank Wednesday, conservative author Ann Coulter said the current media landscape should provide Republicans with a bigger boost in favorability with the public than it actually is.

“[Conservatives] are up against a tougher media,” Coulter told TheBlaze. “On the other hand, it wasn’t that long ago that there wasn’t talk radio, there wasn’t Fox News, there wasn’t a Drudge Report. So, I think we ought to be doing a little bit better.”

Polls consistently show that despite a spate of negative press aimed at President Obama over the decidedly disastrous rollout of his signature healthcare law and Democrats’ handling of the 16-day government shutdown, Congressional Republicans rate as low or lower in favorability. The Blaze.

Grambling Turmoil Snares Student Editors

Two student editors were suspended at Grambling State University's student newspaper, the Gramblinite, in an incident that raises student free-press issues and highlights the consequences of states turning down federal stimulus money. One student said he plans to resign.

Tracie Powell reported Sunday for allDigitocracy.com, "David Lankster Sr. said he's been fired after tweeting statements from anonymous sources and photos of dilapidated facilities (here and here) using the newspaper's Twitter account, and he accused the school's Director of Public Relations and Communications, former journalist Will Sutton, of attempting to censor student journalists. Maynard Institute.

Staff of Washington Post Bids Farewell to Grahams

WASHINGTON — The Graham family said goodbye to The Washington Post after eight decades of ownership with an emotional send-off reception on Monday night for roughly 650 current and former employees at its downtown headquarters.

The gathering wrapped up a major transition for one of the nation’s most prominent family-run newspapers, after Donald E. Graham, the company’s chairman and chief executive, announced in August that he would sell the paper to Jeffrey P. Bezos, the founder of Amazon, for $250 million. The deal closed this month and the paper is eventually expected to move out of its headquarters. New York Times.

BuzzFeed Hires Pulitzer Winner to Head Investigative Unit

BuzzFeed, the media Web site focused on viral content, announced on Monday that it was again expanding its reporting staff, this time to introduce an investigative unit. A new team of about half a dozen reporters will be led by Mark Schoofs, who was hired away from the nonprofit investigative service ProPublica.

Before joining ProPublica in 2011, Mr. Schoofs worked as an investigative reporter at The Wall Street Journal and earlier at The Village Voice, where he won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for a series on AIDS in Africa. New York Times.

Quebec opposition seeks answers on media baron’s ties to PQ cabinet

There are some concerns being expressed about media baron Pierre Karl Peladeau’s role in Quebec politics, notably his close ties to the pro-independence Parti Québécois government.

The province’s Opposition Leader says he wants to know more about the political involvement of the chairman of Quebecor, which dominates the private multimedia landscape in the province and which owns the Sun TV and newspaper chain in English Canada.

Peladeau has been sitting in on cabinet meetings on green-transport projects in his other role – as chairman of Hydro-Québec, to which he was appointed by Premier Pauline Marois.

His tabloid newspaper, Le Journal de Montréal, provided positive coverage in exclusive reports about the project two weeks ago. Toronto Globe and Mail.

Gambia: Human Rights Defenders Decry Lack of Press Freedom

A three day Forum on the participation of African NGOS at the 54th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) and also the 28th African Human Rights Book Fair concluded on Sunday, 20th October, 2013 at the Kairaba Beach Hotel in Kololi. The forum brought together stakeholders dealing with various human rights issues from different parts of Africa. Various reports were presented that touched on media freedom and freedom of expression as well as on laws and principles governing media practice such as defamation, sedition and other draconian laws that prevail in many African countries. Speaking at the session on day 2, 19th October, Mr. Henry Maina, the Regional Director of Article 19 from Kenya, expressed his dissatisfaction over certain unfortunate laws that prevail in some African countries and which are hindrance to media and its practitioners. He said all defamation laws and restrictions on Freedom of Expression (FoE) must be proportionate to the harm done and not go beyond what is necessary. All Africa.

Watergate journalists to share White House perspectives at Trinity

Journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who became famous household names in the 1970s for exposing President Richard Nixon in the biggest political scandal in America, are speaking at Trinity University’s Distinguished Lecture Series in observance of the 40th anniversary of Watergate.

The lecture, “Inside the White House: From Nixon to Obama,” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in Laurie Auditorium.

The free lecture will require a ticket for admission. Tickets will be available 10 a.m.-4p.m. Monday-Friday beginning today, at the Laurie Auditorium box office. Tickets are limited to two per person.

Sharon Jones Schweitzer, vice president for external relations at Trinity, said Woodward and Bernstein will share their views on the White House and Obama presidency. “They’re not going to talk just about Watergate,” she said. “Of course, they can’t get away with an appearance like this without reflecting back on that time in their career.”

NEW YORK -– The Associated Press has fired a reporter and editor over an erroneous Oct. 9 report that Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe lied to an investigator in a federal fraud case, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The AP retracted the article in question roughly an hour and a half after publication, and last week, suspended its author, veteran political reporter Bob Lewis.

According to sources, Lewis has since been fired. He could not be reached for comment. Huffington Post.

Indian media focus on Mumbai acid attack

Media in India are highlighting a brutal incident of an 18-year-old woman forced to drink acid by her stalker in Mumbai.

The suspect, 21, attacked the teenager at a jetty late in the evening on Saturday after she called off their marriage, reports say.

The accused "was prone to substance abuse, which the victim did not approve of. When he refused to change his ways, she called off their marriage last month", The Indian Express reports.

The paper adds that the sound of the scuffle and the victim's screams attracted the attention of people at the jetty, including constables patrolling the area.

The suspect has been arrested while the woman, who has suffered burns on her face, remains in the intensive care unit of a hospital. BBC.

Chinese journalists ordered by government not to write any pro-Japan topics

A mandatory training program for all Chinese journalists began Saturday. The program will last until the end of the year, but participating journalists were already told not to write anything that would favour Japan with regard to the issues on history and territory.

The training program, required by the Chinese Communist Party, gathered about 250,000 journalists working for media organizations across the country. They were reminded what kind of government China has as they were taught the basics of a Marxist view on journalism and how news-making – from gathering to editing – is done in a communist country. They were also instructed on the laws and regulations, norms included, in a government-controlled media. Japan Daily Press.

‘Murdoch’s World': Inside One Of The Last Old Media Empires

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People used to say the sun never sets on the British empire. These days, says NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik, it would be more accurate to say the sun never sets on Rupert Murdoch's empire.

In a new book, Murdoch's World, Folkenflik writes about the Australian newspaper owner whose company now stretches to India, Great Britain and the United States. He describes a powerful media insider who wants to be seen as an outsider. NPR

Murdoch re-elected Twenty-First Century Fox chairman

(Reuters) - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch was re-elected chairman of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc despite protests from shareholder groups who sought to separate the chairman and chief executive positions of the family-dominated company.

Shareholders elected the 82-year-old CEO, his two sons, Lachlan and James, and the rest of the company's 12-person board during the meeting on Friday at the Fox studio lot in Los Angeles.

Shareholders Christian Brothers Investment Services and the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation in Canada unsuccessfully proposed the appointment of an independent chair of the company, citing "the level of family control, and the influence this may bring to the impending reorganization." Reuters.

Censorship raises its two-faced head

A sculpture in Gdansk, Poland describing a Red Army soldier raping a pregnant woman intended by the artist to dramatize rape victims’ suffering, has put him at risk of imprisonment with the charge of promoting national hatred.

Note: the work stood in place without permission for one night next to a memorial to Red Army soldiers who freed the city from the Nazis in 1945. Outraged Russian ambassador in Warsaw, called for an "appropriate reaction" from Polish authorities, saying the artist “defiled” the memory of Soviet servicemen who gave their lives for the freedom and the independence of Poland. Examiner.com

SC refuses to restrain media coverage of Asaram Bapu’s cases

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to restrain media reporting in the cases against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who is currently facing rape charges.

However, the court has also given the liberty to Asaram to approach court again if it feels there is a violation of media guidelines.

Asaram's police remand was extended till October 22 after the Surat-based woman who has accused controversial godman Asaram of repeated sexual assaults when she was living at his Ashram, has allegedly told the police that some other women, similarly exploited, used to be taken to hospital for abortion. Deccan Chronicle.

The father of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said that the "liberal media" in the U.S. has an "evil agenda" that reminds him of the “ministry of misinformation” in communist countries like Cuba.

In an interview with radio host Glenn Beck, Cruz said that the media was interested in "destroying what this country is all about.”

“In your previous segment you were talking about imagining America,” Cruz said, according to a video clip obtained by BuzzFeed. “I’ll tell you what, it almost seemed like I was listening to what was happening in Cuba during Castro. The very same thing, the ministry of misinformation that you have in all the communist countries." The Hill.

Asrar Ahmad – Unsung hero of Pakistani Journalism

A pioneer of trade unionism in the newspaper industry of Pakistan and a veteran journalist, Asrar Ahmad died, quietly on October 06, 2012 after leading years of secluded post-retirement life in a small dwelling at Rawalpindi. This unsung hero of Pakistani journalism struggled for journalists' rights besides setting unimpeachable professional standards.

Apart from his achievements in journalism he distinguished himself with his hard work in achieving better privileges for working journalists, not merely in Pakistan but also abroad, as a leader of the Afro-Asian Journalists Association. He remained a bachelor all his life and devoted time to the profession, colleagues and fraternity. The younger generation of journalists, working in the profession today, is scarcely familiar with his name and contribution. Business Recorder.

EBay founder to build media organization

EBay Inc founder Pierre Omidyar on Wednesday said he is building an independent media organization covering news from sports to politics for mainstream readers, spearheaded by big names including ex-Guardian correspondent Glenn Greenwald.

Omidyar, the 46-year-old French-born Iranian-American who remains chairman of the e-commerce giant he founded, wrote in a blog post that he considered buying the Washington Post – which Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos eventually snapped up – but decided he wanted to build a news organization from the ground up.

“Right now, I’m in the very early stages of creating a new mass media organization. I don’t yet know how or when it will be rolled out, or what it will look like,” he wrote. Business Tech.

Before he was promoted to his current role as chief executive officer of News Corp., Robert Thomson used his position at The Wall Street Journal to hobble the paper's reporting of the parent company's phone hacking scandal, according to a new book.

According to a report in Capital New York, Murdoch's World, the forthcoming book on Rubert Murdoch's empire by NPR media reporter David Folkenflik, alleges that as the phone-hacking story broke in the summer of 2011, Thomson, then the Journal managing editor, "tried to prevent the publication" of a "damaging" article on the scandal.

Thomson was later promoted to CEO of News Corp.

The article in question detailed discrepancies between News of the World's claim that a single reporter from the publication accessed the voicemails of 13-year-old murder victim Millie Dowler, versus evidence that a team of nine journalists from the publication had been ordered to write stories based on the illicitly obtained voicemails. Media Matters.

Jordanian Journalist seeks asylum, claims security pressures

AMMONNEWS - A Jordanian journalist announced that he is seeking political asylum in Sweden, citing that he has been facing severe security pressures and threats in the past three years as a result of his work in the media.

Alaa Fazaa', who runs the "Khabar Jo" Jordanian news website, arrived in Stockholm this past week and issued a press release where he announced that he is seeking political asylum in Sweden.

Fazza' said that he intends to disclose information that will "surprise everyone" regarding the security and political pressures he had faced in the past three years as a result of his journalism practice. Ammon.

Was shutdown coverage biased?

A conservative media watchdog group is complaining of the heavily skewed coverage of the shutdown debacle that painted the GOP as its culprits, reports The Washington Examiner.
The Media Research Center claims that in the two week long shutdown, the "124 full stories and brief items about the shutdown" the MRC reviewed blamed Republicans in 41 cases, both sides in 17, and Democrats in none. While not providing any headlines to illustrate how media rhetoric was biased in the above finding, the MRC does quote mainstream network pundits who called out the GOP for shutdown blame and cites media references to the plight of furloughed workers. Politix.

British Government Increases Attacks On The Guardian

The British government has increased its attacks on the Guardian over the paper's national security and intelligence reporting.

During his weekly question-and-answer session in Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister David Cameron was asked if he thought there should be an investigation into the Guardian's publication of secret documents leaked by Edward Snowden. He replied that he thought parliamentary committees should decide "if they want to examine this issue and make further recommendations."

The Home Affairs committee promptly announced that it would be launching an inquiry. Huffington Post.

England: Sun journalist charged

LONDON (AP) -- A journalist from The Sun newspaper has been charged in relation to the theft of a British lawmaker's mobile phone.

British prosecutors said Friday that Parker has been charged with unauthorized access to computer material and receiving stolen goods - namely, a mobile phone belonging to Labour Party lawmaker Siobhain McDonagh. Associated Press.

Fox wrongly reports Congressman dead

Fox News incorrectly reported that Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.) had passed away Thursday afternoon. A spokesperson for the congressman said Thursday that the congressman is "gravely ill" but still alive.

"Bill Young's condition turned for the worse over night and he is gravely ill. His doctors say his prognosis is guarded," the Young family said in a statement.

Gretchen Carlson reported Young's death as a Fox News Alert on air during her afternoon show and later issued a correction on air.

“Alright, I’m really sorry to report that earlier we did report that Congressman Bill Young had passed away. We are now told that is not the case and we of course sincerely apologize for that error," Carlson said. "Hopefully that won’t happen again." Politico.

West Africa: The Media’s Coverage of the 2012 Election Petition Adjudication

The Media Foundation for West Africa is holding a series of special forums on the performance of Ghana's media in the coverage of the Supreme Court's adjudication and ruling on the 2012 Election Petition.

The forums, themed "The Media's Coverage of the 2012 Election Petition Adjudication: Successes, Challenges and the way forward", are targeted at court reporters, news editors and other journalists.

They are aimed at highlighting the high points in media's reportage; challenges (in terms of quality of reportage, ethical/professional/legal issues, resource allocation, etc.); and recommendations for reporting high-profile issues in the future.

The forums form part of activities being undertaken by the MFWA under the last phase of its language monitoring project which is funded by STAR-Ghana. All Africa.

Journalist Sara Fritz dies at 68

Sara Fritz, a Washington-based journalist who worked on early computer-assisted investigations, won awards for her coverage of the White House and Congress, and wrote searchingly about the suicide of her 12-year-old son, died Oct. 16 at George Washington University Hospital. She was 68.

The cause was complications from a lung infection after hip surgery last month, said her husband, James A. Kidney. She was a District resident.

American Journalism Review described Ms. Fritz as one of the “unsung heroes” of political reporting — rarely a schmoozer or schmoozee, never landing on trendy lists of star journalists, and seldom on the receiving end of calculated leaks by powerful people.

But if she was largely unfeted by the Georgetown salon crowd and general public, Ms. Fritz earned a reputation for dogged investigative work that brought her some of the profession’s highest honors. The journalism review likened her to Lt. Columbo, the rumpled but wily homicide detective played on television by Peter Falk. Washington Post.

Tribune seeks to expand coverage with Kickstarter funds

The Texas Tribune, an Austin-based nonprofit news agency that brings in much of its revenue through grants, donations and live public policy events, has turned to the crowdfunding site Kickstarter to pay for its latest initiative.
Seeking to stream political debates and other events — known as livestreaming — during the 2014 Texas gubernatorial election, the Tribune has set out to raise $60,000 to pay for the broadcasting and editing equipment it will need for the nearly year-long effort. Austin (Texas) Business Journal.

Three journalists working on Pacific issues are expressing hopes for better media coverage of the Pacific region.

Former Radio New Zealand International senior reporter Sara Vui-talitu has been at the radio station for close to a decade.

She said although New Zealand’s influence in the region had declined, the country’s media were still very important in the Pacific context.

Vui-talitu, who currently works at AUT University, also said “there is definitely a place for indigenous reporting”.

She said that often the mainstream media did not cover indigenous issues, and that was where indigenous reporting could have a place. Pacific Scoop.

Myanmar journalist Sein Win dies

Sein Win, a renowned journalist in Myanmar who championed press freedom and endured three stints in prison as he chronicled several decades of his country's turbulent history, died Thursday at age 91.
His family said he died in a Yangon hospital after a long period of ill health.
His work won him international honours, but in his own country his accomplishments were rewarded with jail time and a quarter-century ban on foreign travel.
Sein Win was The Associated Press' correspondent in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, from 1969 to 1989. His daughter Aye Aye Win has held the job since then. Bangkok Post.

“Ronan has established himself as a provocative, independent journalist capable of challenging people’s assumptions and empowering audiences,” said MSNBC president Phil Griffin in his announcement. “His show will be a game changer for MSNBC, representing a fresh approach to how we deliver news.” TVNewser.

Cuccinelli leads the race — on Facebook, Twitter

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RICHMOND, Va. – As Election Day nears, be ready for Republican Ken Cuccinelli, Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Libertarian Robert Sarvis to pop up when you check your Facebook page and Twitter feed. Their gubernatorial campaigns are all engaged on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Experts say these are indispensable tools in political campaigning today.

David Saunders, president and chief idea officer of the advertising agency Madison+Main, stresses the importance of a strong online presence. “Social media is about the like and the share,” said Saunders. “It is the culture of personality.”

Saunders believes social media platforms are too popular to ignore during elections. Typically in October, campaign efforts are increased with more advertisements, Facebook posts and tweets promoting the candidates’ messages. Each candidate’s campaign on average makes several Facebook posts a day, with some gaining hundreds of likes and comments. WTVR.com.

Veep race heats up on social media

KUALA LUMPUR: AS the contest for the Umno vicepresidential spots heats up, the candidates vying for the three posts are racing against time to meet as many delegates as possible.
Candidates scramble to and from events, lucky to sleep five hours at night. But that’s not the only game in town any more. Social media has become part and parcel of campaign communications and it is expected to play an influential role in the run-up to the polls this Saturday.
The three incumbents — Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein — and the three challengers — Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir and Datuk Seri Mohd Ali
Rustam — are active on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites. New Straits Times.

Murder of Journalist Illustrates Dangers, Again

Ayub Khattak, a journalist for Pakistan's Karak Times, was gunned down in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on October 11, according to the Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RWB).

Colleagues and family members believe that Khattak was murdered in retaliation for his reporting. Fellow reporter Haleem Bukhari told RWB, “The deceased had filed a story on the sale of drugs and drug-sellers and that appears to have been the reason for his targeted killing.”

Khattak was accosted near his home by two men on a motorcycle who questioned him about his reporting before shooting him several times with a Kalashnikov. Radio Free Europe.

Glenn Greenwald Leaving Guardian

In an exclusive with BuzzFeed on Tuesday afternoon, journalist Glenn Greenwald revealed that he will soon depart the London-basedGuardian for a “once-in-a-career dream journalistic opportunity” with a “well-funded” new media outlet.

Greenwald rose to international prominence recently when he published information from former National Security Agency contractorEdward Snowden that revealed the extent to which American officials were engaged in the snooping on its own civilians and the obtaining of private information.

“My partnership with the Guardian has been extremely fruitful and fulfilling: I have high regard for the editors and journalists with whom I worked and am incredibly proud of what we achieved,” Greenwaldtold BuzzFeed by email. “The decision to leave was not an easy one, but I was presented with a once-in-a-career dream journalistic opportunity that no journalist could possibly decline.” Mediaite.

Is media biased against people of faith?

NBC News reporter Luke Russert, the son of the late journalist Tim Russert, told CBN News’ David Brody that he believes media outlets are biased against people of faith.

Russert’s comments will likely be seen as vindication by religious individuals who have long argued that mainstream reporters often mistreat and stereotype the faithful.

Russert told Brody he agreed with the claim that those who wear their faith on their sleeve are often covered unfairly, regardless of which religion or faith sect it is.

“I think that’s absolutely accurate and I think the current world in which we live in, specifically with the American media, ‘snark’ is valued,” Russert said. “And it’s very easy to come after people of faith no matter what they’re religion is — if they’re Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Hindu.” The Blaze.

VandeHei named president, CEO of Politico

Politico, the politics-obsessed website that quickly became a major force in Washington coverage, has named one of the two journalists who conceived it and launched it as its president and CEO.

Jim VandeHei, a former Washington Post political reporter who has been Politico's executive editor, will also be in charge of Capital New York, the New York City-centric website that Politico owner Robert Allbritton is acquiring.

Allbritton is selling his television holdings to Sinclair Broadcast Group and plans to invest some of the proceeds in Politico, Capital New York and other new-media- ventures. VandeHei, 42, whose appointment takes effect immediately, succeeds Politico co-founder Fred Ryan. USA Today.

‘Media should stop reporting politics’ – Moyo

HARARE - Local media houses have been urged to refocus their news in a marketable fashion and to concentrate on generating content which has the potential to earn them money as opposed to concentrating on political issues.

The Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Jonathan Moyo made the remarks while on tour at the Financial Gazette offices.

He said local media institutions should to shift their focus from concentrating on political issues real or imagined, at the expense of issues which affect their readership and audiences.

“For quite some time in Zimbabwe, people thought that the best news that sells is political news but there is no money in that. Some international organisations such as Reuters for example generate significant figures of revenue from reporting on financial issues, even African financial markets,” said Moyo. The Zimbabwe Mail.

Ghanaians Push For Internet Access and Data Journalism

Ghanaian civil society organizations have banded together in a push for greater Internet access in the country. Earlier this month 30 organizations called on the government to make Internet penetration a priority. The call took place turning a workshop on Internet freedom in Ghana organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa with support from a UK-based organization, Global Partners and Associates. Ghana's Communications Minister, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, has voiced his support for the organizations' plea.

Death toll mounts for journalists in Philippines

Another Philippine journalist was killed in a drive-by shooting on Wednesday, bringing to at least six the total slain in the country this year. In none of the cases have police determined whether they were killed because of their work as journalists or for other reasons. The investigations into the cases appear to have gone nowhere and get only brief media attention.

In the most recent case, Vergel Bico, 41, an editor for the weekly newspaper Kalahi, who had written about illegal gambling, was shot twice in the head while riding his motorcycle in Calapan City in Mindoro Oriental province, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Manila, according to The Associated Press.

Police Chief D'Artagnan Katalbas told AP the gunman fled on a motorcycle driven by another man. No motive has been established, but Katalbas said investigators were "not discounting" that the killing was related to Bico's work as a journalist. Committee to Protect Journalists.

NSA Media Coverage Skyrockets In The Wake Of Snowden Leaks

Media coverage of the National Security Agency has exploded, according to a new report by Dow Jones.

The wire service crunched the numbersfrom its Factiva service, which archives news stories from thousands of outlets around the world, and found that there has been a huge leap in the number of pieces mentioning the NSA.

The agency has been in the news almost continuously since Edward Snowden leaked documents about its top-secret activities to the media in June. Dow Jones counted 15,450 mentions of the NSA per month in the summer of 2013. That's over 10,000 more NSA-related stories since the last period the agency was most in the news, which came during the warrantless wiretapping scandal of the Bush administration. Huffington Post.

Al Jazeera to take legal action on Egypt signal jamming

Doha-based Al Jazeera Media Network said it will take legal action after finding out there was a deliberate effort to jam its satellite signal in Egypt.

The network received a technical report compiled by Integral Systems, a US-based global satellite company, revealing the source of the deliberate jamming that Al Jazeera was continuously subject to since July 7, said a statement.

The report showed that the interference came from three locations east of the Egyptian capital of Cairo, and that the fourth site is west of the capital. The report also confirmed that three of the four sites are in areas of military installations, it said.

The network condemned the jamming of its operations in the statement and stressed that any attempt to disturb the broadcast will not affect its quest to report facts and bring truth to viewers. Trade Arabia.

Slow start for Al Jazeera America

Al Jazeera America’s ratings were unimpressive in its first full week after launch.

Though it takes months to establish a new cable network, it’s clear that AJAM has serious viewership, advertising and distribution hurdles to resolve.

The network averaged 23,000 total viewers in primetime for the week ended Sept. 1, according to Nielsen, and 18,000 in total day.

That was up from 18,000 in prime and 14,000 in total day during the previous week, when it launched on a Tuesday and did not get a full week’s worth of numbers in. Media Life Magazine.

Egyptian media portrays Barack Obama as Satan, U.S. media silent

It's probably safe to say that Egyptian media won't be portraying Barack Obama as "god of all things" anytime soon. An Egyptian media source has actually taken the opposite position, portraying the president as the devil himself, PJ Media reported Wednesday.

Raymond Ibrahim, author of "Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians," said the Egyptian paper Al Wafd published a grotesque picture portraying Obama as Satan, and said it represents the growing hatred many people in the region have for the president, thanks, he said, to Obama's staunch and unwavering support for Islamists and jihadis, "whether in Nigeria, Libya, Egypt, or Syria — even as they terrorize, murder, rape, and burn down Christian churches, that is, even as they engage in diabolical activities."

A blog post at the Gateway Pundit wondered if the media -- including Fox News' Bill O'Reilly -- would denounce the image as racist, reminding readers of the controversy sparked by a series on the History Channel where a character portraying the devil had an uncanny resemblance to Obama. Examiner.com.

Political roundup: Kiwi perspectives on the Australian election

New Zealanders could be forgiven for not realising that Australians go to the polls tomorrow following a marathon, and sometimes farcical, election campaign.

This is because there's been very little coverage or awareness of the campaign in New Zealand, as was pointed out by one Australian newspaper report yesterday which said "The campaign noise that's been blaring at Australians for weeks doesn't ring quite as loud across the ditch - which could be a blessing for those voting in New Zealand" - see Elise Scott's Aussies cast their votes in New Zealand.

Alec Baldwin begins MSNBC talk show in October

Alec Baldwin has already demonstrated his interviewing ability on public radio and now he's taking it back to TV with a new weekly talk show on MSNBC.
Baldwin will host "Up Late w/ Alec Baldwin" on Friday nights on the cable news channel starting in October, the network announced Thursday.
The show is expected to cover culture and current events. Los Angeles Times.

Veteran Journalist Douglas Frantz Heading To State Department

NEW YORK -- Veteran journalist Douglas Frantz is joining the State Department as assistant secretary of state for public affairs, according to a source familiar with the move. An official announcement is expected Tuesday.

An Egyptian court has ordered the closure of four television stations, including Al Jazeera's Egyptian affiliate, for "insulting the armed forces ... and inciting foreign countries against Egypt".
The court order, issued on 3 September, is part of a crackdown on television stations considered supportive of the ousted president Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood.
The Cairo-based channel Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr has been accused of rumour-mongering and dividing the country over its extensive coverage of opposition protests. Last week, the Government said the channel was operating without a licence and warned that legal action would follow, "given the threat it poses to national security".
Al Jazeera has always denied taking sides and maintains its coverage is fair and balanced.Rapid TV News.

Social media shows Aussies passionate about election

Some might think this election's been a bore but social media users disagree, lighting up Facebook and Twitter with Rudd and Abbott banter.

New social media insights into the current Australian Election were derived using SAP's 'Social Media Analytics by NetBase’, a cloud-based solution that quantifies various aspects of online sentiment with a natural language processing engine – and correlates changes in public opinion with campaigns, promotions, news, and other events.

For the period from 25 August – 1 September, the solution was used to analyse social media mentions of Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd, as well as key words associated with their election campaigns. The analysis included multiple platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, comments from news sites and online forums.

This analysis into the Australian Election showed that while Tony Abbott triggers more comments online overall, Kevin Rudd generates more negative and more positive comments, as well as slightly lower net sentiment. IT Wire.

CNN Digital Names Peter Hamby National Political Reporter

CNN Digital has named Peter Hamby national political reporter, making him the second digital-first correspondent for the company. Kelly Wallace was the first digital correspondent, reporting on family and career issues. She joined CNN from iVillage in June.

Hamby will cover politics, policy and campaigns across the country, from national elections to state and local affairs. His reporting will appear across CNN Digital and on CNN TV.

“Peter is a scrappy and well-sourced reporter and a swift writer with a big social fan base,” said Meredith Artley, managing editor of CNN Digital in a statement. “That combined with his on-air experience and knack for breaking big news stories make him the perfect person to give this classic CNN beat a new spin.” Media Bistro.

Layoffs at ABC Stations Eliminate Last Political Reporters in San Francisco Bay Area

Political reporting in Northern California recently took a hit after ABC closed its Sacramento bureau and laid off bureau chief Nannette Miranda along with KGO political reporter Mark Matthews.

Miranda provided the ABC owned stations in Los Angeles (KABC), Fresno (KFSN) and San Francisco Bay Area (KGO) political and regional coverage from the state’s Capitol while Matthews was the lone political reporter left in the San Francisco Bay Area market.

Randy Shandobil, former political reporter for FOX affiliate KTVU, wrote in SFGate.com yesterday that after veteran political reporter Hank Plante retired from CBS owned KPIX in 2010 and Kevin Riggs left Sacramento NBC affiliate KCRA, the craft of reporting about politics in Northern California has gone the way of the dinosaur. Shandobil said when he told Plante about the latest layoffs, Plante said, “think of all the stories not being told.” Media Bistro.

India’s social media battleground

NEW DELHI -- Political parties are shifting their campaign trails onto the unfamiliar turf of social media in search of votes in upcoming elections.

From the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the small, resource-strained Aam Aadmi Party, everyone is working on bolstering their digital presence ahead of five state polls this year and national elections next summer.

As Delhi, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh hold elections, the Congress is adding a separate social-media wing to the communications teams in each of state.

Last week in Delhi, the Congress also held a social-media workshop, for five party officials from each state in the country. Two Congress ministers, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor, held seminars at the workshop on Twitter and micro-blogging. The National.

Egypt court orders closure of Islamist TV channel

AFP, Cairo -- A Cairo court on Monday ordered that an Islamist television channel be closed permanently, accusing it of attempting to disrupt the unity of Egypt.

The broadcaster, Al-Hafez, was ordered shut after accusations that it was "inciting hatred" against Coptic Christians and "undermining national unity".

Al-Hafez and some of its presenters have often been accused by Copts and liberals of using harsh language about them in its reports.

The channel was among several other Islamist networks to be taken temporarily off the air soon after the July 3 ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi by the military. Al Arabiya.

A panel discussion on the media coverage of the June meeting between President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping of China took place Tuesday at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

The event’s panel featured School of Journalism Director Michael Parks, Interim Director of Annenberg’s Center on Communication Leadership and Policy Geoffrey Cowan and Director of the USC U.S.–China Institute Clayton Dube.

The meeting between the American and Chinese presidents, which took place at Sunnylands, Walter H. Annenberg’s Rancho Mirage, Calif. estate, included issues ranging from cybersecurity to climate change, according to Forbes. Daily Trojan.

Guinean Reporter Attacked, Detained for Covering Political Rally

In the past two weeks, Guinean media have suffered a series of attacks for covering and reporting on rallies held by the ruling party, the People's Rally of Guinea (RPG).

Supporters of the RPG and soldiers attached to President Alpha Condé's security detail have reportedly attacked a number of journalists and ransacked a radio station, Bate FM, for covering the president's rallies.

David Tchopn Bangoura, a reporter for privately-owned radio station, Lynx FM, is the latest journalist to suffer harassment at the hands of angry RPG supporters.

According to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)'s monitor, on August 24, 2013, the angry supporters accosted Bangoura and threatened to lynch him for covering the day's rally without authorization from the RPG. All Africa.

Journalism standards in Zimbabwe drop: Report

JOURNALISM standards in the country have sharply dropped since 2000 due to a number of factors, chief among them state interference, low salaries as well as poor working conditions and the polarised nature of the operating environment.

According to a Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) report entitled The State of Journalism Ethics in Zimbabwe, journalism has deteriorated to pathetic levels compared to pre-2000 standards when journalists carried out their duties with less state interference.

The VMCZ report says the journalism profession took a nosedive after former Information minister Jonathan Moyo introduced repressive measures to stifle the media following his appointment in 2000, soon after Zanu PF secured a narrow win over the MDC in parliamentary elections. Zimbabwe Independent.

The Economist backs Kevin Rudd for ‘second turn’

The Economist has hesitantly thrown its support behind Kevin Rudd as the nation gears up to head to the polls next week, declaring that the Labor Party's "decent record" in recent years makes it the best party to face the challenges of the future.

While acknowledging that the Liberal-National coalition is the natural home of The Economist's vote, the magazine says in an editorial due to be published on Saturday that it has broken with tradition and endorsed Mr Rudd, although "the choice for voters, frankly, is not great".

"The choice between a man with a defective manifesto and one with a defective personality is not appealing—but Mr Rudd gets our vote, largely because of Labor's decent record," The Economist writes, describing the parties' respective leaders as "Daggy Abbott and rude Rudd". The Sydney Morning Herald.

Does the British Media Think Australians are ‘Hopeless Hicks’?

Prominent Australian television personality Adam Hills has criticised the British press' coverage of federal elections in Australian while casting his early vote in London's Australia House.

According to Mr Hills, the British media wanted to reinforce the view that Australians are "hopeless hicks who don't know what we're doing." Referring to funny moments and gaffes in Australian politics, he said the British press was quick to report them as news in the UK.

Mr Hills mentioned Australian Opposition leader Tony Abbott's accidental reference in his speech about the "suppository of wisdom," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's fondness for taking "selfies" and former One Nation candidate Stephanie Banister dubbed as Australia's Sarah Palin for mistaking Islam for a country. International Business Times.

War and political reporting topic of Open Visions forum

Steve Kroft, a veteran correspondent for CBS News, will open Fairfield University's Open Visions lecture series on Monday, Sept. 16, in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Kroft's talk, "My Years in Journalism," will include stories from his extensive career in war correspondence and with CBS News and "60 Minutes," including his experiences surviving a plane crash, covering wars in five continents, and meeting some of the world's most influential people.

Early in his career, Kroft served with the U.S. Armyin Vietnam as a correspondent and photographer forPacific Stars and Stripes. He became a foreign correspondent for CBS News in London covering terrorism in Europe and the Middle East, including the TWA hijacking in Beirut, the massacres at the Rome and Vienna airports by terrorists, and theAchille Lauro hijacking. Fairfield Citizen.

SPJ considers changing its name to SPJ

SPJ is considering changing its name from Society of Professional Journalists to Society for Professional Journalism. [My error: My original post had OF, not FOR.]

Some at SPJ, according to a Romenesko tipster, favor “changing the focus of the organization to upholding and advocating the principles of professional journalism rather than the people performing the craft.” The SPJ member added: “It’s also a reaction to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and others trying to define who is and isn’t a journalist. It’s a proposal that the national board will be debating for quite a while, I suspect.” Jim Romenesko.

Singh – Swaraj spat spills into the social media

NEW DELHI: The war of words over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's attack on the opposition spread to the social media with Sushma Swaraj saying he had lost grace while I & B Minister Manish Tewari hitting back claiming that it was the BJP leader who had lost space in her party.

Earlier, Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said on Twitter "the Rupee has lost its value. The Prime Minister has lost his grace."

The I & B Minister was quick to post a lyrical retort in a post on Twitter. The Economic Times.

Navarrette’s article “like the ones before it and after are accurate in actions taken, but incorrectly suggest the reasons why,” NAHJ President Hugo Balta tells Poynter in an email. “In the end — I am in agreement … poor decision making was made. I assume full responsibility for that.”

Navarrette says Perez complained to NAHJ about a planned panel appearance by Hector Barajas, a Republican strategist. Perez’s spokesperson Steve Maviglio told Navarrette the speaker objected because the program “said this panel was for Latino elected officials.” The actress Eva Longoria and Maria Teresa Kumar of the group Voto Latino were both on the panel. Poynter.

Bill O’Reilly Apologizes For ‘Mistake’ About March On Washington

Bill O'Reilly apologized Thursday night for his erroneous comments about the 50th anniversary celebrations of the March on Washington the previous day.

O'Reilly had complained that no Republicans had been invited to the event. In fact, many, including both living Republican presidents, John McCain, Jeb Bush and John Boehner had been asked to attend. All declined for various reasons.

Egypt moves closer to ban of Al-Jazeera

CAIRO — Egypt's interim government called an Al-Jazeera local affiliate that broadcasts in Arabic a national threat Thursday, moving closer to banning its broadcasts beamed from Qatar after the affiliate aired recordings of declarations by fugitive leaders of theMuslim Brotherhood. The Qatar-based television network said four journalists working for its English service were arrested in Cairo.

Three government ministers issued a statement saying that Al-Jazeera Mubashir Misr is operating "illegally, in violation to the profession's standards and without a permit to work in Egypt," the state-run news agency MENA reported.

The ministers also said the channel used satellite transmission without a license and spread "rumors and claims which are harmful to Egyptian national security and threaten the country's unity," without referring specifically to the broadcasts of the fugitives' declarations. Daily Reporter.

Stony Brook University Journalism dean moves on to Al Jazeera

Marcy McGinnis, former Associate Dean of the School of Journalism at Stony Brook University, was appointed senior vice-president of news gathering at Al Jazeera America, is a cable news channel that launched on Aug. 20.

In her new role, McGinnis is in charge of Al Jazeera America’s domestic and international news coverage. AJAM recently opened 12 bureaus throughout the United States and has plans to open four additional bureaus. Al Jazeera America also has access to news coverage from over 70 of Al Jazeera’s international bureaus.

“I am looking forward to being part of an organization that is going to cover the news in a more in-depth way,” McGinnis said. “I am eager to be part of this new venture that will hopefully give Americans another outlet to go to for really strong journalism.”

In her previous role as Associate Dean of Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism, McGinnis assisted in developing the school since its foundation in 2006. She supervised the design, construction and development of the newsroom and TV studio. The Statesman.

Brownlee questions media privacy rights in New Zealand

Cabinet Minister Gerry Brownlee has questioned why political reporters' phone, email and swipe card records should be protected when they frequently publish classified information or the private records of others.

Mr Brownlee's questions came as Parliament's privileges committee continued its investigation into the release of reporter Andrea Vance's records to the Henry inquiry into the leak of a report on the GCSB.

United Future Leader Peter Dunne resigned his ministerial portfolios after refusing to release details of his email correspondence with Ms Vance just before she published an article detailing the report's findings of potentially illegal spying on New Zealanders by the GCSB. The New Zealand Herald.

Censure for reporter over Gaza tweet sparks BBC rethink over social media

The censure of a senior BBC correspondent over his use of Twitter in covering the Middle East could have a chilling effect on the use of the medium by the organisation's global network of journalists.

The BBC Trust has upheld an accuracy complaint against the respected foreign correspondent Wyre Davies after he tweeted about rocket attacks in Gaza and Israel last November.

Although the Trust praised Davies for "the overall quality and integrity of his reporting across various media" during Israel's Operation Pillar of Defence, it found he had breached accuracy guidelines in a 7.25am tweet, which stated that "In this 'limited operation' at least 13 Palestinians and 3 Israelis have been killed - nearly all civilians. #Gaza". Four of the 13 Palestinians were later identified as civilians, with the others being militants. The Independent.

Argentine high court considers media monopoly law

The future of broadcast television and other news media in Argentina now rests with its Supreme Court, which began hearing arguments Wednesday over a law the government says will foster competition by breaking up privately held monopolies in the information business.

The 2009 law's stiff limits on cable TV ownership would force Grupo Clarin to break itself apart, demolishing a leading opposition voice against government power. Clarin is Argentina's biggest media company, with holdings that include one of Latin America's biggest newspapers, magazines, a major cable TV system and broadcast TV and radio stations.

Each side offered five "friends of the court" who took sides arguing for freedom of expression in the hearings, which were broadcast live on Argentine television. Bloomberg Businessweek.

Bill O’Reilly Falsely Claims Republicans Barred From March On Washington

Fox host Bill O'Reilly falsely claimed that "no Republicans and no conservatives were invited" to participate in attend the anniversary of the March on Washington. Several prominent Republicans were invited, but chose not to attend.

On the August 28 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly hosted Democratic strategist James Carville to discuss the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. During the discussion, O'Reilly complained that President George W. Bush was not invited to speak. O'Reilly later claimed that "[n]o Republicans and no conservatives were invited." O'Reilly went on to respond to Rep. John Lewis' statement that "we're all in the same boat" by asking "Where's the conservative side to that boat?" Media Matters.

Australia: First-time voters fuel social media campaign

With first-time voters set to play an important role in the upcoming elections for the Legislative Assembly, candidates have turned to social media to get their messages through, a political scientist says.
Compared to the last polls in 2009, next month’s election will have more young voters, says University of Saint Joseph political scientist Eric Sautedé.
There are 26,909 first-time registered voters and about half are aged 30 or under, official data show. Together they account for almost 10 percent of eligible voters who number more than 277,000 people.
“If you take the usual voting participation rate of 60 percent… this is about 8,000 votes,” Mr Sautedé said at a breakfast meeting held by the France Macau Business Association. “This means the new, young voters below 29 can elect one seat.”
The September 15 poll will select 14 directly elected legislators, two more seats than in the previous assembly, thanks to the political reforms approved last year. Macau Business Daily.

Vietnam’s Communist Leaders Try to Rein in Social Media

(CNSNews.com) – Starting on Sunday, the more than 30 million Vietnamese who use the Internet risk punishment if they use their Facebook or Twitter accounts to share news articles.

The posting online of any material that “opposes” the Socialist Republic of Vietnam or “harms national security” will also be outlawed under vague new Internet regulations that are causing dismay at home and abroad.

The introduction of the law known as “Decree 72” comes a month after President Obama hosted Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang at the White House, and less than two months before Vietnam will almost certainly be elected onto the U.N. Human Rights Council. CNS News.

Woodward to teach ‘Journalism’

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In the spring, aspiring Yale journalists will have the opportunity to learn from one of the most famous names in the field, Bob Woodward ’65.

Woodward will teach the spring section of “Journalism,” an intensive seminar that the English Department offers each spring and fall. Woodward, who is well-known for uncovering the Watergate Scandal with his colleague Carl Bernstein at the Washington Post in the 1970s, said he hopes to teach his students about the intensive and immersive reporting method he developed throughout his prolific journalistic career.

“I think that even in the era of impatience and speed, which defines the news media now, that there is a place for [total immersive journalism],” Woodward said. “I’m going to try to share 40 years of experience.” Yale Daily News.

Nigeria Arrests Man Posing As CNN Correspondent

YENAGOA, Nigeria, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Nigerian authorities have arrested a citizen who posed as a CNN correspondent to try to get money from politicians in exchange for interviews in oil-producing Bayelsa state.

Paul Yempe was rumbled by a member of the local branch of the national journalists union (NUJ) when he approached the office of the state's energy commissioner to solicit an interview for an alleged CNN documentary.

Tare Akono, state NUJ chairman, said by telephone that he had handed the man over to the police for further questioning. Police spokesman Alex Akhigbe confirmed this, but said the case was still being investigated. Huffington Post.

Jeff Bezos plans to visit Washington Post next week

(Updated Aug. 28: The visit will take place Tuesday, Sept. 3, an email to staffers says. Bezos “will have a Q&A with the newsroom on Tuesday, Sept. 3, in the Community Room,” the email says. “It will start at 1:30 p.m. and last until shortly before 3:30 p.m.”)

Bezos sent an advance team to the Post last week, other sources told Poynter. Bezos has not yet revealed any of his plans for the paper, which announced on Aug. 5 that he’d buy it. Bezos’ only interview so far has been with Post reporter Paul Farhi. “I don’t want to imply that I have a worked-out plan,” he told Farhi. “This will be uncharted terrain, and it will require experimentation.” Poynter.

CPJ calls for probe into Miranda detention

On August 22, a U.K. court granted David Miranda a limited injunction to stop authorities from "inspecting, copying, or sharing" the data that police had seized while detaining and interrogating him for nine hours at Heathrow Airport on August 18. Miranda had been assisting his partner, Glenn Greenwald, a Guardian reporter, in his coverage of state surveillance.

CPJ issued a letter on August 20 to U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, calling for a thorough and transparent investigation into the detention and harassment of Miranda. CPJ said, "The use of anti-terror laws to seize journalistic material from Miranda, partner and assistant to Guardian reporter Glenn Greenwald, is deeply troubling and not in keeping with the U.K's historic commitment to press freedom.
Guardian Editor-in-Chief Alan Rusbridger, who is a recipient of CPJ's 2012 Burton Benjamin Memorial Award, sent a note thanking CPJ for its support. CPJ's letter was reprinted by The Guardian and, at the request of the newspaper's lawyer, CPJ forwarded the letter to the court where legal proceedings against Miranda's detention were under way. Committee to Protect Journalists.

In Brazil, journalist killer sentenced

A Brazilian court on August 6 sentenced João Francisco dos Santos to 27 years in prison for his role as the gunman in the October 19, 2010, murder of radio reporter Francisco Gomes de Medeiros. Authorities have yet to prosecute any masterminds in the killing.

Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas, said, "Authorities must now ensure that all those involved in the crime--including the masterminds--are brought to justice in order to send a clear signal to those who wish to violently silence journalists that they will not go unpunished."

CPJ has spent years reporting on the case and advocating for justice in Gomes' murder. Brazil had dropped off CPJ's Impunity Index in 2010, but was reintroduced to the list in 2011 because of Gomes' murder and the subsequent lack of justice.

In 2012, CPJ collaborated with global and local partner organizations and launched a digital campaign, Speak Justice: Voices against Impunity, which fights impunity in press murders. Committee to Protect Journalists.

Watergate garage to be demolished

The famous garage where Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward learned about the Watergate scandal from the informant ‘Deep Throat’ may be razed to make way for a real estate project.

US developer Monday Properties plans to demolish two 1965 buildings, one of which includes the garage, in the Rosslyn neighbourhood of the Washington suburb of Arlington, Virginia.

The garage was a critical setting in the scandal that forced US president Richard Nixon to step down in 1974, and was immortalised in the 1976 film All the President’s Men.

“These two buildings are at the end of their useful life. They will be replaced by a big office building with a mix of uses -- residential, retail, and office,” Tim Helmig, chief development officer at Monday Properties, said. Oman Tribune.

The two newspaper heavyweights were speaking at a packed PANPA Future Forum in Sydney this morning, alongside APN boss Michael Miller and Chris Wharton, CEO West Australian Newspapers.

Hywood said that given scale in Australia, digital subscriptions will be a “supplementary earner” to his business, but that it’s no “silver bullet”. B&T.

Panel to media: Exercise restraint in naming women

BHOPAL: State Women's Commission directed the media to use restraint and not to publish news describing a woman characterless. Members of the commission who met here on Monday said this in reference to a news published in a Betul-based newspaper that cast aspersions on a woman without naming her but disclosing the name of her locality.

After publication of the news, people started defaming the woman and she had lodged a complaint to the commission. The joint bench heard seven cases related to harassment at workplace, family disputes and news published in newspaper on Monday. The Times of India.

QUEBEC - The media of English Canada are to blame for pathetic, unfair coverage of the Parti Quebecois' controversial minorities plan, according to prominent Pequistes.

A former premier called the coverage pitiful. And a current cabinet minister took to Twitter to condemn it Tuesday.

The complaints about the Anglo fourth estate came amid a furor over an impending plan by the PQ government to restrict public employees' right to wear religious clothing.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, ex-premier Bernard Landry said he can't accept some of the complaints directed at the Quebecois. Calgary Herald.

Howard Kurtz to host ‘MediaBuzz,’ premiering September 8

Fox News’ media show is coming soon.
Howard Kurtz will begin hosting a live weekend program, called “MediaBuzz,” on Sept. 8 at 11 a.m. ET.
The new hour-long weekend program will focus on the state of the media and the media’s impact on current events and politics. Leading journalists and commentators will be featured on the show.
Kurtz plans to use the new series to examine media bias while looking at the major news stories of the week. The show will also feature real-time reactions to the different topics discussed, using Bing Pulse. Fox News.

The Worm shows News Corp headlines maintain a strong zero bias towards either of the major political parties. Above 0% is bias towards Labor. Below 0% is biased towards Liberal. The Telegraph.

Social media fuels massive Philippine anti-graft rally

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the Philippine capital on Monday to voice outrage at corrupt politicians, in a modern-day "People Power" rally fuelled by social media.

The protesters ranged from members of the clergy and students to businessmen, middle-class families, lawyers and other professionals, in a sign of the breadth of anger over graft in the impoverished nation.

Calls for protest began circulating on Facebook and Twitter about two weeks ago after a series of newspaper articles, many in the popular Philippine Daily Inquirer, about a mammoth scam involving legislators' Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Global Post.

Photojournalist Raped in Mumbai

MUMBAI— A female photojournalist on assignment in Mumbai was gang raped while her male colleague was tied up and beaten, the police said. Five men were being sought as suspects in the assault Thursday evening.

‘‘She was taken to Jaslok Hospital with multiple injuries,’’ said Rane, a head constable at the N.M. Joshi Marg police station in the Lower Parel neighborhood of Mumbai, where the case was registered. Mr. Rane refused to reveal his full name.

The attack occurred around sunset, as the woman and her colleague were visiting Shakti Mills, an abandoned textile mill complex near the Mahalaxmi train station in Lower Parel. The woman was taking photographs of the area for a magazine story about Mumbai’s chawls, tenements for workers employed in the mills. New York Times.

Embattled Indian PM appeals against media “witch hunt”

AFP_NEW DELHI: India's embattled prime minister appealed Saturday to the media, increasingly critical of his scandal-hit government, not to launch a “witch hunt” while investigating corruption.

Manmohan Singh’s call came as his Congress-led government struggles to restore order in parliament where opposition parties have stalled business in a row over allegedly illegal allocation of mining rights.

“The spirit of enquiry must not morph into a campaign of calumny,” Singh, 81, said while launching a state-built media centre in the Indian capital.

“A witch hunt is no substitute for investigative journalism,” the prime minister said and urged media groups to rise above “personal prejudices.” The Frontier Post.

India gets its own national media center

New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS): A state-of-the art National Media Centre comparable to those in capitals across the world was inaugurated Saturday, with an impressive conference hall, workplace for the media, a library, cafeteria and high-speed internet.

The four-storied Rs.60 crore facility, built over three years, is located at the heart of the capital, on Raisina Road - with many important government buildings a stone's throw away and in the vicinity of the Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Press Club of India and the Indian Women's Press Corps are right next door.

The cream sandstone and blue glass facade-building has glass-covered corridors on each floor, overlooking a garden at the center. Daijiworld.com.

India: MEA Spokesperson urges media to portray holistic version of incidents along LoC

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin urged the media to portray the violations of ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) holistically, and said that the strained relations between the two countries is not an international issue anymore, but instead one between India and Pakistan.

Array

Akbaruddin was speaking to the media after making a presentation at Administrative Staff College of India here yesterday.

Akbaruddin said that ceasefire violations were common from both sides but the media is yet to report such events in the proper perspective. Business Standard.

Keith Olbermann promises no politics on his new ESPN2 show

Keith Olbermann is returning to ESPN2 with a nightly show - cleverly titled "Olbermann" - on Aug. 26. And he won't be talking politics, he promised.

Not because he can't, but because he doesn't want to.

"There's nothing preventing me from doing it other than common sense," Olbermann said.

He flat out denied a report in The New York Times that he was forbidden contractually from talking about politics on his new show. Middletown Press.

Australian election: Paid parental leave verdict shaped by platform

MUCH media coverage has been afforded Tony Abbott's proposed paid parental leave scheme. It has been the most mentioned media issue in the country during the past week, with 9349 radio mentions, 6375 on television, 5642 online and 572 print articles, garnering an enormous 21,938 mentions overall.

Not surprisingly, the second biggest issue of the past week, the People's Forum leaders' debate for which television was the biggest medium, centred on the Opposition Leader's "shut up" outburst, a gotcha moment that was prompted by the parental leave issue. The debate gathered 16,569 total media mentions. The Australian.

Media trial influencing judiciary: Bengal speaker

West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee Sunday accused a section of media of "sensationalising" trivial matters being heard by courts which was influencing the judiciary.

"The (section of) media has been regularly sensationalising trivial matters which are sub-judice. They should not do this for I feel this has been influencing our judicial system," said Banerjee at an event.

"Influencing the judicial system like this is unwarranted," added the ruling Trinamool Congress leader.

Banerjee's comments came in for sharp criticism from legal experts. Business Standard.

Koch Industries not buying LA Times, Chicago Tribune

Koch Industries will not be buying the Tribune Company’s eight newspapers, which include the Chicago Tribune and the LA Times, The Daily Caller has learned.

Sources with knowledge of the business proceedings told The Daily Caller that Koch Industries, after conducting its due diligence, has not been interested in buying the newspapers for “a couple months.”

The company determined that purchasing the newspapers was “not economically viable” and that both parties walked away from the negotiations, they said. The Daily Caller.

Egyptians protest Washington Post’s coverage of unrest as biased

Hundreds of Egyptian protesters massed in front of The Washington Post’s office in Washington D.C. on Thursday saying that the outlet’s coverage of Egypt’s military takeover was biased in favor of ousted President Mohammed Mursi, the targeted news outlet reported on Friday.
Police closed down the block as crowds gathered around the office’s front entrance at about 2.15 pm, reported the newspaper.
Washington Post security locked its public entrance and closed its metal security gate. The group moved on after about half-an-hour, they reported.
According to the newspaper, many of the demonstrators were Coptic Christians complaining that the Washington Post has not sufficiently covered the burning and looting of churches in the country, reportedly perpetrated by Islamists affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Al Arabiya.

Media group asks AG to remove Risen subpoena

Nearly four dozen media organizations wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday asking him to withdraw the Justice Department’s subpoena of New York Times reporter James Risen in a leak case.

The letter, sent by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 45 other news organizations, argued that the Justice Department should follow new guidelines on leak investigations that it released in July, and thus drop its efforts to compel Risen to testify in the trial of former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling.

Sterling was indicted in connection with alleged leaks to Risen for his 2006 book on CIA efforts in Iran. Politico.

Glenn Greenwald’s partner David Miranda wins partial court victory

London (CNN) -- David Miranda, the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, won a partial victory in his legal action against the Metropolitan Police Thursday, but the judge left a loophole that allows the police to continue investigating the materials they seized from him on Sunday.
Miranda, a Brazilian citizen, spent nearly nine hours in detention Sunday being questioned under a provision of Britain's terrorism laws, after he was stopped as he changed planes on his way home from Berlin to Brazil.
Authorities confiscated Miranda's electronic equipment, including his mobile phone, laptop, memory sticks, smart watch, DVDs and games consoles.
The High Court order says that the inspection, copying, disclosure, transfer and distribution of the materials seized must cease, save for the purpose of protecting national security and for the purpose of investigating whether the claimant is a person who is, or has been, connected with terrorism. CNN.

Gingrich Will Be Back in the ‘Crossfire’ on CNN

ARLINGTON, Va. — In defeat, the 2012 Republican presidential hopefuls have mostly faded from view, in ways that seem true to type. Mitt Romney is a contented grandfather. Rick Santorum leads a Christian movie company. Michele Bachmann is retiring from the House, although her pants-on-fire oratory is likely to find a new home.
And what of the 2012 contender with a slashing debate style, who prolonged his primary run seemingly to remain in the media spotlight? Newt Gingrich has also earned his just deserts: he has been named a host of CNN’s revived “Crossfire,” the granddaddy of political debate shows. New York Times.

Huffington Post to end anonymous comments

The Huffington Post which has logged more than 260 million comments in its history will end anonymity in those comments, founder Arianna Huffington said Wednesday morning.

“Trolls are just getting more and more aggressive and uglier and I just came from London where there are rape and death threats,” Huffington said in comments to reporters after a speech atHubspot’s Inbound 2013 conference in Boston. The changeover will come in mid-September, she said.

“I feel that freedom of expression is given to people who stand up for what they say and not hiding behind anonymity,” she said. “we need to evolve a platform to meet the needs of the grown-up Internet,” she said. The current Huff Po system uses advanced algorithms to moderate comments plus 40 moderators, but that is not enough now, she said. Gigaom.

Fox News media chief Brian Lewis fired after internal investigation

Fox News Executive Vice President Brian Lewis, the communications chief and a top strategist for the cable channel, was terminated after an internal investigation raised questions about his conduct.

“After an extensive internal investigation of Brian Lewis' conduct by Fox News, it was determined that he should be terminated for cause, specifically for issues relating to financial irregularities, as well as for multiple, material and significant breaches of his employment contract," a spokesman for Fox News parent company 21st Century Fox said.

Fox News and 21st Century Fox declined to elaborate on Lewis' transgressions. He was let go on July 25, but the firing only came to light on Tuesday after a story about it appeared in the Hollywood Reporter. Lewis could not be reached for comment. Los Angeles Times.

Study: N.Y. Times 2008 Clinton Coverage “Decidedly Stereotypical”

The New York Times coverage of the 2008 presidential race was "decidedly stereotypical," according to a new study, whose author fears a similar "gendered agenda" may occur in the 2016 race.

"At the aggregate level, what I found was that Clinton's gender was mentioned much more so than her male competitors and that she also received less issue coverage than her male competitors," said Lindsey Meeks, whose study appears in the September 2013 issue of theJournalism and Mass Communications Quarterly.

Meeks is a researcher and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington's Department of Communications whose area of specialty includes how the news media covers the gender of political candidates. Media Matters.

Border most common word used in Indian media reports on China

Beijing: Apart from "China" and "India", "border" is the most common word used by Indian media in their reports on China as they stepped up coverage on the country, while the official media here registered a steady decline in its reportage on India, according to a survey.

The report by the Global Times Global Poll Centre showed the number of reports on China increased in six out of 10 surveyed Indian media outlets from 2010 to 2012 increasing Beijing's profile in the country.

The reports on India are decreasing yearly in seven Chinese media outlets, the results of the survey carried by the state run Global Times, which is officially hosting a get-together with Indian media professionals and strategic analysts, said. Zee News.

Int”l media body condemns killing of Egyptian journalist

BRUSSELS, Aug 21 (KUNA) -- The International Federation of Journalists on Wednesday condemned the killing on Monday of Egyptian daily Al Ahram's regional bureau chief, Tamer Abdel Raouf, shot dead at an army check point by soldiers shortly after the start of the curfew.
Another journalist, Hamed Al Barbari, a reporter for the daily Al Gumhuria, who was travelling with him in the car, was also shot in the hand and leg and has beeen hospitalised, said the IFJ in a statement.
"It is shocking that trigger-happy security forces shoot to kill without any attempt to establish the identity of the journalists," commented IFJ President Jim Boumelha.
"This seems to be a case of shoot first and ask questions later which is unacceptable. If journalists and media personnel, who are officially exempt form curfew, are to be allowed to move freely and safely at night, the security forces must establish clear rules to enforce the curfew," he added in the statement.
The Brussels-based IFJ represents more than 600000 journalists in 134 countries. Kuwait News Agency.

Journalists Quit Venezuela TV News Channel in Censorship Row

Six senior journalists quit Venezuela’s main television news channel Globovision yesterday in protest at alleged interference by the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
The anchors and reporters resigned over the “abrupt, violent and aggressive” exit of creative director Leopoldo Castillo, who left Aug. 16 after 12 years at the channel, said Roberto Giusti, former host of talk show 33 Degrees. Castillo hasn’t commented on his departure.
The “conditions for conducting free journalism are absent from Globovision,” Giusti said by telephone from Caracas today.
Globovision, Venezuela’s only private channel specializing in news, was bought by three owners of Caracas-based insurance company Seguros La Vitalicia in May. The station has since stopped airing live speeches by opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski, according to former employees. It has also ended six news and current affairs programs and parted ways with 14 journalists to date. Bloomberg.

Social media alone cannot help win elections: Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi: At a time when major political parties are vying for a space in social media, Union minister Shashi Tharoor today said the platform alone cannot help win elections but gives new options of reaching out to public.

Speaking at the launch of a social networking website here, Tharoor said, "One cannot win elections by using only the social media, but it certainly is an asset as it gives new options of reaching to the public. We cannot escape from it."

He added that only 10-12 per cent of people have Internet access in India and 70 per cent of the people have mobile access. Social media will play an active role once there is a convergence of mobile and Internet, Tharoor said. Deccan Chronicle.

Clyburn rips media by harkening back to Nazis

(CNN) – Rep. James Clyburn, the House assistant Democratic leader, claimed Wednesday that some sectors of the news media were complicit in spreading misinformation, and used an historical example from Nazi Germany to illustrate his point.

According to The Hill newspaper, the South Carolina Democrat said "manufactured controversies" were becoming more common with the rise of internet journalism.

"You have people's words and phrases being misrepresented and looped through the news media and thrown out there on the Internet, and people run with it because these things start getting reported in the mainstream media, and before you know it, people believe that stuff," Clyburn said on a Sirius XM radio program, according to The Hill.

Later, he noted that during the Third Reich, media propaganda was used to broadcast the ideas of the Nazi regime. CNN.

In a unusually well-publicised police operation, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday that Beijing police have detained and launched criminal investigations into four people in an attempt to “eradicate the breeding ground for internet rumours”.

Police said Erma, a Beijing-based internet marketing company, spread rumours about poor governance and official corruption in China to increase their influence on social media and gain financial benefits. Lengthy stories about the misdeeds of the alleged rumour-mongers splashed across the front pages of many official newspapers on Tuesday, and featured prominently on major news websites. State-run mobile phone companies also sent messages of the news to hundreds of thousands of customers.

The arrests coincide with a concerted government campaign to discredit outspoken liberals and crack down on dissent since Xi Jinping became president. In April, a secret Communist Party Central Committee circular called on cadres to crack down on subversive forces within Chinese society. South China Morning Post.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill and members of his staff plan to sue members of the Liberal Party and media outlets for defamation over comments about the government's handling of a school sexual abuse case.

"I've always been relaxed about criticism - including very robust criticism from you and any media outlet,'' Mr Weatherill told ABC radio presenters Matt Abraham and David Bevan on ABC 891 today.

"But I draw the line at people casting doubt on my honesty and personal integrity.

"If you cross that line, I will defend myself and I'll defend myself strongly."

He accused some members of the State Opposition and media outlets of spreading "mistruths'' about himself and his staff over the case.Herald Sun.

Kiwis battling their country’s anti-Israel media bias

Kiwis for Balanced Reporting on the Middle East – an NGO in New Zealand – feels it hasn’t been able to properly get Israel’s message across in the country’s mainstream newspapers.

The group was formed in 2006 after the Second Lebanon War, due to common sentiments that media coverage of the conflict was very one-sided and in many cases untruthful.

Composed of 20-30 volunteers from New Zealand, most of whom aren’t Jewish, KBRM’s main focus for the past seven years has been to level the playing field regarding the newspaper industry’s unbalanced approach to covering stories involving Israel.

Egypt Coptic Christian Leadership Condemns Western Media Coverage

In the face of an unprecedented wave of violence directed against Coptic Christians amid the turmoil in Egypt that has left hundred’s dead, the church’s leadership issued a statement condemning the Western media’s biased coverage of the events in Egypt.

“We strongly denounce the fallacies broadcasted by the Western media and invite them to review the facts objectively regarding these bloody radical organizations and their affiliates instead of legitimizing them with global support and political protection while they attempt to spread devastation and destruction in our dear land,” reads the statement, according to a Google translation. The Jewish Press.

Ontario Press Council to hold hearings on media coverage of Ford family

The Ontario Press Council will hold hearings next month about articles written by two major Canadian newspapers, including The Globe and Mail, about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his brother, Toronto Councillor Doug Ford.

The council said in its hearing notice that it will consider whether The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star have “engaged in irresponsibly, unethical investigative reporting” in coverage of the Ford family.

One complaint was filed with the council over The Globe’s May 25 article titled “The Ford family’s history with drug dealing.” The article – citing interviews with 10 people, including dealers and users of hash – reported that Doug Ford sold the drug as a young man. The article reported that Rob Ford was not “involved in a significant way” in the Toronto drug trade at the time, but that two of the Ford brothers’ siblings have had ties to drug traffickers. The Globe and Mail of Toronto.

Journalists detained, attacked amid unrest in Egypt

New York, August 19, 2013--New York, August 19, 2013--Several journalists working for international media said they were assaulted or briefly detained over the weekend. The attacks and harassment came as Egyptian authorities publicly accused international journalists of distorting coverage of recent events.

The State Information Service, a government-run agency tasked with overseeing editorial content in the news, issued a statement on Saturday that claimed that international media were "conveying a distorted image that is very much far from the facts." On Sunday, Gen. Abdul-Fattah al-Sisi criticized the foreign media for failing to report objectively on the week's events that have left nearly a thousand dead and thousands others injured, news reports said. Committee to Protect Journalists.

“The Ed Show” hosted by Ed Schultz is moving back to MSNBC’s weekday lineup starting Monday, August 26. “The Ed Show” will air Monday – Friday at 5 p.m. ET. “Hardball with Chris Matthews” will continue at 7 p.m. ET. The announcement was made today by Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC.
“Chris Matthews and the ‘Hardball’ team have been pulling double duty for years. This move will concentrate the 'Hardball' audience to one key time period and enhance the flow of our evening programming,” said Griffin. “Ed Schultz is a force of nature and an important voice to the MSNBC audience. I can’t wait to have him back on weeknights.” Ohio.com.

Somali National Union condemns Assassination of a Media Worker in Mogadishu

Mareeg.com-The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns in the strongest terms possible following the murder of a media worker in Mogadishu on Saturday morning, on August 17, 2013, bringing the number of journalists and media workers killed this year to six.

Unknown assailants disguised as students shot Eng. Ahmed Sharif, who worked at the state run radio Mogadishu as a technician and helped troubleshoot other radio stations in Mogadishu, outside his home in Shibis neighborhood on Saturday morning, according to witnesses and officials. The assailants reportedly shot four times at the chest, stomach and heart.

He was immediately rushed to Keysaney Hospital, where he was proclaimed died. Mareeg.com.

Grover Norquist Pretends Conservatives Haven’t Fought Obamacare

Conservative activist Grover Norquist falsely claimed that "nobody is keeping anybody out" of the Affordable Care Act and that "the idea that Republicans have not been trying to help is wrong." Norquist's rhetoric ignores Republican efforts to delay implementation of the program, attempts to repeal the law, and activist campaigns discouraging enrollment.

In fact, Republicans and conservatives have made multiple attempts to discourage adoption of the program by citizens.

House Republicans have voted to repeal the law 40 times, while some Republican members of Congress and activists are currently promoting the idea of defunding the law.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) wrote a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Gooddell in order to dissuade the league from taking part in a public service campaign to educate consumers about the law. Media Matters.

Julian Assange praises Matt Drudge as ‘news media innovator’

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange told a group of college students Friday morning that the “only hope” for U.S. electoral politics is Republican Sen. Rand Paul (KY) and his brand of Libertarian politics.According to the right-wing college news site CampusReform.com, the international fugitive and accused acquaintance rapist also heaped praise on right-wing blog mogul Matt Drudge, calling him a “media innovator.”

The remarks came as part of a live Q&A session with Assange and Campus Reform editor in chief Josiah Ryan.

“First of all, I wanted to ask your opinion of American journalist Matt Drudge,” said Ryan. “Do you consider him a friend or foe of your open government movement?”

“Next I wanted to ask you about Sen. Rand Paul,” he continued. “He’s, uh, a vocal critic of big government. Um, I’m wondering about your opinion on him.”

Finally, he asked Assange’s opinion of the hacking collective Anonymous.

“Well, um, three bites of the apple here,” Assange responded. “Matt Drudge is a news media innovator. And he took off about eight years ago in response to the Monica Lewinsky scandal.” The Moderate Voice.

Al Jazeera America Promises a More Sober Look at the News

Fourteen hours of straight news every day. Hard-hitting documentaries. Correspondents in oft-overlooked corners of the country. And fewer commercials than any other news channel.

It sounds like something a journalism professor would imagine. In actuality, it is Al Jazeera America, the culmination of a long-held dream among the leaders of Qatar, the Middle Eastern emirate that already reaches most of the rest of the world with its Arabic- and English-language news channels. The new channel, created specifically for consumers in the United States, will join cable and satellite lineups on Tuesday afternoon.

Al Jazeera America is the most ambitious American television news venture since Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes started the Fox News Channel in 1996.

Christian communicators highlight role of media in Egypt

In light of the recent turmoil in Egypt, the board of directors of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), during a 16 August online meeting, expressed sorrow at the grievous loss of life, tearing apart of communities, and the destruction to churches and mosques.

They also highlighted the attacks on media workers and the role of the media in reporting the conflict and enabling the scale of destruction to be understood in context.

Condemning the violence on all sides, WACC called on mass and community media in the country and the Middle East Region to provide responsible and balanced media coverage in an effort to avoid further violence. Ekklesia.

Congress gets online-savvy: Social media wings to start in 5 poll-bound states

New Delhi: Congress will set up new communication teams with a separate wing dedicated to social media in all the five poll-bound states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.

“We are trying to set up our communication teams in all states within two-three months and to start with, we will do it in the five states where assembly elections are due this year,” AICC Communication Department Chairman Ajay Maken said here today. FistPost.com.

Int”l media body mourns four journalists killed in Egypt crisis

BRUSSELS, Aug 16 (KUNA) -- The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Friday mourned the death of four journalists during clashes between security forces and pro ousted President Mohamed Morsi supporters on Wednesday in Cairo.
"We are shocked and saddened to learn the loss of our colleagues who died because they believed in the purpose and mission of journalism," said IFJ President Jim Boumelha in a statement.
"We should continue to honour them by keeping faith with their best aspirations. In their names we can and should do more to find ways of making journalism safer. We express our deepest condolences to their families and colleagues," he said.
Ahmad Abduljawad, reporter for Al Akhbar newspaper and for Canal Misr 25, was killed while covering the crackdown at Rabaah Al-Adawiya mosque area.
Sky News cameraman Mick Deane was shot while covering the violence and died soon after he was treated for his injuries.
Photographer Mosab Al-Shami for Rassd news website (RNN) was also shot dead near the mosque.
Habiba Ahmad Abdulaziz, who worked for the UAE-based Xpress newspaper, died from gunshot wounds but her newspaper confirmed she was not on any official assignment but had gone home on annual leave. Kuwait News Agency.

EGYPTIANS SHARE SCENES FROM CLASHES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

After security officials raided two sit-in protests organized by the Muslim Brotherhood on Wednesday, resulting in 638 deaths, the group called for protests across the country on Friday.
The week’s deadly choas comes more than two months after President Mohammed Morsi was removed from power. Protests broke out then in reaction to his authoritarian rule in which he was accused of pursuing an Islamist agenda while shutting out other factions. The military then ousted him on July 3.
Images from the the week’s clashes between police and pro-Morsi supporters have flooded social media sites, like Twitter and Instagram. Some, too bloody and disturbing to share with you here, give a scary and heartbreaking view of the lives lost during the week’s violence. Many others, however, share clear sounds, sights and sentiments from across Egypt.
As planned, thousands of civilians have taken to the streets today as seen in Instagram user mountiii12‘s video just a few hours ago.mernaelsakka and nohaeladl also uploaded images to Instagram of the same crowds passing them by from above:
All week long, tensions have flared with Morsi supporters filling the streets, people running from police by jumping off of bridges, and police stations, mosques and churches being burned to the ground. RYOT News.

Egyptian media idolise police

Cairo - As the bodies of hundreds of people killed by security forces lay at a Cairo mosque, ignored by Egyptian media, four of the policemen who died in the violence were feted as heroes in a funeral broadcast live on state television.

“They died guarding this nation,” said the TV commentator, as the four coffins draped with Egyptian flags were placed on separate fire trucks for a procession accompanied by a brass band.

In sombre tones, the commentator said: “The coming period is one of security and safety.”

The army-backed government is lionising the police force that crushed Cairo protests by supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi this week, killing at least 578 people in a day of bloodshed that outstripped anything seen in the 30-year rule of veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled in 2011.

Accompanied by the army's move back to the heart of government, it is worrying those Egyptians who fear a newly assertive security apparatus will try to knock a badly shaken democratic transition even further off course. IOL News.

UK’s media regulator fines Sikh channel for inciting violence

Britain's media regulator has imposed a hefty fine of 30,000 pounds on a Sikh television channel for "seriously" breaching its code by broadcasting a programme inciting violence within the community against members of the Indian Army.

Sangat TV, a Birmingham-based satellite channel which broadcasts in Punjabi and English, will have to pay the fine for breaching Ofcom's code by broadcasting the programme that incited Sikhs to take violent action against Lt Gen KS Brar and other members of the Indian armed forces. The discussion programme aired in October at London last year followed an attack on Lt Gen Brar, who led the Indian Army's Operation Blue Star against Sikh separatists at Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984. IBN Live.

Feinstein Wants To Limit Who Can Be A Journalist

The most recent congressional threat to the free press in the United States comes from California Democrat U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

In a proposed amendment to a media shield law being considered by Congress, Feinstein writes that only paid journalists should be given protections from prosecution for what they say or write. The language in her proposal is raising concerns from First Amendment advocates because it seems to leave out bloggers and other nontraditional forms of journalism that have proliferated in recent years thanks to the Internet.

“It rubs me the wrong way that the government thinks it should be in the business of determining who should be considered a journalist,” said Ken Bunting, executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition at the Missouri School of Journalism. The Western Center for Journalism.

Burkina Faso state media journalists protest censorship

Journalists from Burkina Faso state media Tuesday held a sit-in in front of the ministry of Communications in the capital Ouagadougou to protest what they deem to be excessive government censorship of news coverage.

Journalists from the national public broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina (RTB) and the Sidwaya stable of publications, including Burkina Information Agency (AIB), waved placards reading: "No to Censorships of Articles and Reportages In Newsrooms," "Facts are Sacred, Comments Are Free," "We've Had Enough," along with other signs calling for better working conditions.

The protest was initiated by two independent press unions, the Autonomous Syndicate of Information and Culture Workers (SYNATIC) and the Association of Journalists of Burkina, according to news reports. Africa Review.

Rush Limbaugh Says Debate Moderator Role Wouldn’t Work for Him

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh began his Thursday afternoon program by addressing the possibility that he and such other well-known conservatives as Sean Hannity and Mark Levin might moderate debates of Republican primary candidates during the 2016 election cycle as a departure from the previously biased questioning at such events by obviously liberal journalists.

“I don’t see how I can do it,” he stated. “I’m too famous,” and he added that his presence would “overshadow” the event, though Limbaugh admitted that deciding whether to take part in a radio debate “would be a real, real, real tough call” since “it could get ratings.”

The conservative icon then noted that “some people misunderstood and thought that it was moderating debates on mainstream TV networks. That would never happen. These would be debates that are strictly for a conservative Republican media and audience.” Newsbusters.

Egyptian Media Creates a U.S. Senator Out of Thin Air

Earlier this week, Maurice Bonamigo had strong words for the White House on its Egypt policy. “The Obama administration failed to assess the situation in Egypt,” Bonamigo told Egypt’s flagship English-language media organ, the Egypt Independent. “It did not appreciate the power of the Egyptian people calling for freedom. I am surprised by Obama’s stance.”

Readers will be surprised to hear that the Independent is describing Bonamigo as a U.S. senator. Of course, many Egyptians are still mad that Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham called the coup that deposed President Mohamed Morsi a coup. But to get revenge against the entire upper house of Congress by inventing a U.S. lawmaker is taking it to rather absurd lengths.

“Maybe they really thought he was a senator, and they were fooled by someone going under the name Maurice Bonamigo,” says Samuel Tadros, an Egypt expert and author of the recently publishedMotherland Lost: The Egyptian and Coptic Quest for Modernity. “Or the journalists are just fabricating the whole thing. That’s the Egyptian media for you. It’s best not to believe anything in the Egyptian press.” The Weekly Standard.

The protests that left more than 500 dead yesterday in Egypt have understandably put Hamas on its toes, with the terrorist organization and political ruler of Gaza fearing that yesterday’s spiral of violence could spread into the coastal territory it controls.

To crackdown on would-be revolutionaries and stem the flow of discontent, Hamas has tightened its reign on free speech by closely monitoring social media accounts in Gaza, Al Monitor reported on Thursday.

According to a report on Arab social media published by the Dubai School of Government in July 2012, 21.2% of Palestinians have Facebook accounts, while other media reports claim the number is actually as high as 40%, Al Monitor said.The Algemeiner.

Journalist Jack Germond, One Of The ‘Boys On The Bus,’ Dies

The longtime columnist died just as he'd finished writing a political novel titled A Small Story for Page Three, reportsUSA Today.

"He went peacefully and quickly after just completing this novel, a tale he had pondered while writing columns, campaign books, a memoir and covering our politics and politicians," his wife, Alice, said in a note to his colleagues, according to The Associated Press.

Germond had been a reporter since 1953, when he began at a local Missouri paper. He later rose to become political editor at the Washington Star, collaborated on a regular column with the journalist Jules Witcover for the Baltimore Sun, wrote books — including the autobiographical reminiscences Fat Man in a Middle Seat and Fat Man Fed Up — and gained a following with TV political commentary. NPR.

Black men call for better media coverage

An Aug. 12 press conference quickly turned into a sweeping indictment of the mainstream media’s portrayal of the Black community when Black community leaders met at the Thelma Lovette YMCA in the Hill District to show their support for the 38th Annual Connie Hawkins Basketball League “Summer Slam.”
“I’m tired of the entire Black community being painted with the same brush,” said Bill Neal, CEO of Champion Enterprises, host of the annual basketball game. “I’m tired of the Black community being painted as a war zone. We as Black leaders need to challenge that.”
For the past 38 years, Neal’s organization has hosted a number of basketball-oriented youth programs. The upcoming event, set for Aug. 17, brings together youth, adults and professional players for a day of basketball games.
But Neal doesn’t think the mainstream media will be there to see it. Instead he believes they only show African-Americans when there’s violence involved, something he admits happens far too often. He called on local stations WTAE, WPXI, and KDKA, in particular, to cover more positive events in the Black community. New Pittsburgh Courier.

Is the Australian election boring the media?

Last night Paul Murray made two interesting comments on Sky News. First he said the media were bored with the election. Then he said that Kevin Rudd was losing the election. These two observations are not unrelated.

As evidence he pointed to the media coverage of the day – misspoken words, kids having a cigar, photo shopped beards, and so on. This morning the outrage is whether women can have sex-appeal. Apparently not.

The point being that trivia is dominating the media coverage because the election outcome is fairly certain.

Paul Kelly, in The Australian, makes a similar point. He argues that, “Rudd’s campaign is manifestly flawed and underdone. Not even Kevin’s remarkable abilities can conceal the obvious.”

That is a polite way of saying that Kevin Rudd has nothing to say. The Conversation.

‘Indian media is spreading hatred and creating hype’

Leader of the Indian peace delegation Chanchal Manohar has said that Indian media is spreading hatred and creating hype. "I am a working journalist for last 32 years and the hatred Indian media spread recently compels me to think had media got the hold of nuclear button they would have pressed it by now," he said.
He was addressing the seminar entitled "A modern Pakistan at peace within and with neighbours" organised by South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) here on Tuesday. A 12-member Indian delegation led by Chanchal Manohar attended the conference. I A Rehman, Dr Akmal Hussain and Dr Wassem also expressed their views on the occasion. Manohar said those who had come to Pakistan were asked pinching questions as to why they were going there when six Indian soldiers had been killed. Manohar said the prosperity of the two countries was linked to peace between them. "Some 200 million people in India have no homes. As per government figures, 37 percent population lives below the poverty line and what the governments do is continue buying weapons," he maintained. He said it was a good news that Pakistan had got an enlightened Prime Minister in shape of Nawaz Sharif who wanted to have peace with India with sincerity. "This is also a positive sign that for the first time in Pakistan political parties have mentioned in their manifestos that they would establish peace with India," he said, adding that Nawaz Sharif alone couldn't bring peace and the Indian government and the other institutions in both the countries should work to establish peace. Business Recorder.

Substantial media coverage for Belarus president election

MINSK, 17 December (BelTA) – Over one thousand Belarusian and foreign reporters have been accredited to cover the Belarus president election, Head of the National Press Center Ivan Sokolovsky told media at the presentation of the Information Center of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus on 17 December.

The CEC Information Center will be opened at 9:00 on 19 December. The CEC Information Center is supposed to feed up-to-date information to mass media and international observers and provide them with comfortable conditions for their work. Belarusian Telegraph Agency.

India: Dalits in media feel the sting of caste discrimination

Dalit journalists believe caste-based discrimination and antagonism against them is pervasive in the mainstream media, both print and electronic. They say this phenomenon is more rampant in Hindi and other language media than in the English media.

This was one of the important findings of the research project that The Hoot, a website on the media, commissioned me to do. Over three months, I interviewed students who were admitted to media institutes in the reserved category and are or were journalists. I also spoke to Dalits who entered the media directly. Of the 21 journalists who agreed to speak to me – there was also a substantial number who turned down my requests for an interaction – 19 spoke on the record, suggesting a growing sense of confidence among them about their Dalit identity. First Post.

The Columbia Journalism Review has criticized the NY Times and other major media outlets for inadequate coverage of NOAA’s annual State of the Climate report. In its critique, CJR points out “Considering the importance of the information, the mainstream press provided surprisingly limited analysis.”
The report is a “a hefty, 258-page document” that is “used to set and influence domestic climate policy and distributes statistics that form the baseline for discussions of climate change.”
Yet as Media Matters reported, The New York Times failed to cover this story as well as the new American Geophysical Union (AGU) climate statement, “Human-induced climate change requires urgent action,” which states bluntly, “Humanity is the major influence on the global climate change observed over the past 50 years.” Think Progress.

UK: Media coverage of immigration ‘overwhelmingly negative’

A major study of newspapers by Oxford researchers has found coverage of immigration to be overwhelmingly negative

The study found the word ‘illegal’ was often linked to ‘immigrant’, while ‘asylum seeker’ was usually paired with ‘failed’.

The researchers, from the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, looked at 58,000 articles in every national newspaper in Britain.

They looked at the words most commonly used in the discussion of immigration, with ‘illegal’ the buzz word in both broadsheets and the tabloid press.

Many campaigners have voiced concern over the prejudicial language used across the press. Cherwell.org.

Real Clear Politics, Yahoo News Get White House Briefing Room Seats

The White House press briefing room will look a tad different now that some additional news organizations were granted seats.

The New York Times' Peter Baker tweeted that Real Clear Politics and Yahoo News were given seats in the briefing room. Publications including MediaNews, Daily Beast, SiriusXM, Sky News, Financial Times and The Guardian would share seats.

Seats within the White House press briefing room have a storied past as placement often determines the importance of the news publication. As such, the country's largest news bureaus often sit front and center. Typically, press secretaries call on journalists' questions in seat order, starting from the front and moving towards the back. Huffington Post.

Breitbart editor to launch anti-Media Matters group

By BREITBART NEWS
Beginning next month, Breitbart News Editor-At-Large Ben Shapiro will be leading the launch of a new project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center: TruthRevolt.org, an activism program designed to “unmask leftists in the media for who they are, destroy their credibility with the American public, and devastate their funding bases.”

The program is being described as a conservative counterpunch to Media Matters, the Obama-linked organization that focuses on silencing conservatives in the media. “For too long, we've played by the Marquess of Queensberry rules, allowing the left to stifle the truth and silence truth tellers in the name of their politically correct narrative. Now we're taking the battle to their home turf -- and we will do so aggressively and unwaveringly, every single day. This is just another avenue for applying Breitbart’s fighting spirit to the battle against those who would destroy what America stands for,” Shapiro said. Shapiro will maintain his position and all of his duties at Breitbart News as well.

One of the founders of the New Left in the 1960s, David Horowitz has become an icon in the conservative movement, famed for his deep understanding of the ideology and strategy of the modern left in America. He has led the Freedom Center since its inception as the Center for the Study of Popular Culture in 1988.

"We could not be more excited to be working with Ben on this project,” Horowitz told Breitbart News. “Andrew Breitbart was a fantastic friend to the Freedom Center and an indispensable warrior in the battle against the anti-America, socialist left and its allies in the universities, the unions and the Democratic Party, and Breitbart News carries on his legacy. We look forward to working with our friends at Breitbart in continuing the fight for America's future." Breitbart.

Ted Cruz: Media ‘in love’ with Hillary Clinton

AMES, Iowa — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) said Saturday that he thinks the mainstream media are “in love” with former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, but declined to say whether he backs the Republican National’s Committee’s threat to exclude NBC and CNN from the 2016 GOP primary debates if they don’t pull the plug on plans to produce films about her.

“I don’t think anybody is surprised to discover that the mainstream media are in love with Hillary Clinton. And indeed I would expect both of those movies to be released on Valentine’s Day,” Cruz told reporters.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus is pressing for CNN and NBC to abandon plans to produce films about Clinton, given her status as a potential 2016 presidential candidate. CNN plans to produce a documentary, while NBC is producing a miniseries. If they don’t comply, Priebus says, then he will move ahead with plans to exclude them from the slate of RNC-approved debates.

Cruz was asked whether he backed the RNC’s position, but declined to say whether or not he does.

Candy Crowley Agrees: Clinton Documentary Risks CNN’s Integrity

CNN's Candy Crowley is the latest critic of planned special programming on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, expressing concern that a CNN Films' Clinton documentary would threaten CNN News' reputation for objective reporting.

In July, NBC Entertainment announced plans to produce a Clinton-based miniseries timed to precede the 2016 presidential race, and soon thereafter, CNN Films announced its own intention to produce a feature-length documentary film on Clinton to premiere in 2014.

Though both outlets claim their network's news division will not be involved in the effort, the proposed specials have raised concern about the obvious conflicts of interest involved for NBC and CNN parent companies and the news divisions' ability to report objectively in the event of a 2016 Clinton presidential campaign. Media Matters founder David Brock and RNC chairman Reince Priebus have each called on the outlets to cancel their plans due to these ethical issues. Media Matters.

15 Things Americans Would Know if There Were a “Liberal Media”

If we have a “liberal media,” as conservatives absurdly claim, why isn’t it flooded with stories about US prisons, wealth inequality, outsourcing?

While I share Prince’s frustration with the media, as a liberal, I’d like to go on record and state that the media isn’t focusing on issues I care about. They seem to be far more focused on entertainment and making money.

Poll: Americans Believe Media Has Liberal Bias

A poll released last week shows Americans’ faith in traditional mainstream media as an unbiased source for incisive government monitoring continues to decline, as Internet-based news outlets continue to gain the trust of readers fed up with what they believe is a liberal bias among traditional news sources.

The expansive Pew Research poll, released last Thursday, shows public perception of the mainstream news media “mired near all-time lows,” even as respondents continue to believe that it’s the job of news organizations to watch the government and prevent elected leaders and policy makers from aggrandizing unConstitutional power.

When it comes to bias, which way do viewers think the mainstream media leans? Not surprisingly, more respondents believe the news veers to the left. Of those surveyed, 46 percent said the media reflects liberal ideology, while only 26 percent believe the news is biased toward a conservative point of view. Another 19 percent felt the media’s reporting is largely unbiased, and 9 percent said they didn’t know. Personal Liberty Digest.

Award for journalist

Former diplomat M.K. Rasgotra presenting The Prem Bhatia Memorial award to Shalini Singh of The Hindu for Best Political Reporting of the Year, in New Delhi on Sunday. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma. The Hindu.

South Africa: Minister Dlamini Rejects Media Suggestions That Government Work Is Linked to Political Campaigning

PRESS RELEASE

The Minister for Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, rejects suggestions made in the media that her visit to Tlokwe on 2 August 2013 was motivated by political campaigning because of the by-elections being held in that area.

Minister Dlamini further disputes that her visit to Tlokwe yesterday, 6 August 2013, was an abuse of public funds for purposes of political campaigning. The Minister visited Tlokwe on 6 August in her capacity as an ANC NEC member and the Department of Social Development was not involved in any way in that visit.

The Minister is required through the Performance Agreement she signed with the President of the Republic to undertake public participation programmes throughout the country. AllAfrica.com

Sentence prompts concern from CCF partner over freedom in Fiji

An international charity working with Fiji’s Citizens’ Constitutional Forum says it is concerned legal action against the NGO will curtail freedom of expression and public debate in Fiji.
The Fiji group’s CEO, the Reverend Akuila Yabaki, received a three month jail sentence, suspended for a year following CCF’s reprinting of an article raising concern about the impartiality of Fiji’s judiciary.
Yabaki and his organisation have together been fined ten and a half thousand US dollars and ordered to pay court costs of about two and a half thousand dollars. Radio New Zealand International.

Social media used to promote Texas history

The Associated Press

WACO, Texas — Curators of a vast collection documenting Texas history and culture have turned to social media to expand their archive's reach.

Staff at Baylor University's Texas Collection post on Facebook, the photo-sharing site Flickr and make YouTube videos highlighting some of the facility's holdings.

Texas Collection Director John Wilson told the Waco Tribune-Herald (http://bit.ly/16JehEZ ) that social media allow them to go beyond the scholarly researchers who are accustomed to working there. Star Telegram.

India: Congress to hold workshop on social media, Rahul Gandhi to address it

New Delhi: Congress is organising a workshop dedicated to the social media on August 23, which is expected to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi.

The workshop follows a two-day media session organized by the party on July 22-23 to tone up the party's communication strategy and to institutionalise a framework for it in all states ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

There is a realization in Congress that the principle opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and its poll mascot Narendra Modi in particular, are way ahead in their presence on social media and there have been attempts by the ruling party at the Centre to take on the Gujarat Chief Minister on Twitter. NDTV.

Chinese Journalist Who Advocated for Disgraced Politician Is Detained

Song Yangbiao, a Chinese journalist who has called for people to protest the prosecution of Bo Xilai, a fallen senior Communist Party official, has been detained, according to Lu Qi, a friend of Mr. Song.

Mr. Lu said on his microblog on Wednesday that Mr. Song had told a younger sister in a police station on Aug. 5 that he was being detained because of his remarks on his microblog account. Mr. Song had posted messages in support of Mr. Bo, who is expected to go on trial in the coming weeks or days on charges of bribetaking, embezzlement and abuse of power.

Mr. Song’s microblog account has been deleted, butfreeweibo.com has saved some messages. One message read: “All members of the Chinese Communist Party should rise up together to oppose the illegal trial in Jinan,” according to Reuters. Mr. Lu, who writes for Time Weekly, said Mr. Song has been detained since Sunday.

Glenn Greenwald offered Brazilian protection from U.S.

A Brazilian official has taken the unusual step of publicly announcing that the Brazilian government will offer Guardian writer Glenn Greenwald protection from the U.S. government after determining he risks facing legal action if he returns to the U.S.

To receive protection from Brazil, Greenwald would have to officially request it. But though he takes the risk of prosecution seriously, Greenwald tells me he has no intention of taking the Brazilian government up on the offer — and that he plans to return to the U.S. sooner than later, come what may.

“I haven’t requested any protection from the Brazilian government or any other government because, rather obviously, I’ve committed no crime — unless investigative journalism is now a felony in the U.S.,” Greenwald said via email. “But the fact that Brazilian authorities believe there is a real possibility that the U.S. would unjustly prosecute journalists for the ‘crime’ of reporting what the U.S. government is doing is a powerful indictment of the U.S.’s current image in the world — just as was the requirement that the U.S. promise it will not torture or kill Snowden if he’s returned. It’s an equally potent reflection of the massive gap in opinion between the U.S. Government and the rest of the world when it comes to how the NSA disclosures, my reporting, and Snowden are perceived.” Salon.

BJP chief terms Modi’s Rambo Act as media exaggeration

Media reports had earlier reported that Modi, who visited Uttarakhand late last week, had rescued 15,000 Gujaratis trapped in the hills after flash floods devastated the state in a single day.

“Modi went to Uttarakhand to express his sympathies and it is being said that he evacuated 15,000 Gujaratis from there. I talked to him and he said that he never gave any such statement,” Singh said.

The BJP chief, however, did not clarify how many Gujaratis were evacuated in Modi’s rescue act.

Besides media, Singh also blamed BJP workers for bragging and directed them not to politicise the tragedy. Gulf News.

Media descends on Fort Hood for trail

Fort Hood officials said 99 reporters from 41 local, national and international media agencies passed through the East Gate Tuesday to cover the trial of accused Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan.

The journalists transformed the sizzling parking lot between Club Hood and the Lawrence J. Williams Judicial Center into a sea of satellite trucks and television cable as the long-delayed trial began its first day.

Heidi Zhou Castro, correspondent for Al Jazeera America, said nearly all of the satellite trucks in the area were rented out for the trial.

“This story is a leading story right now all over the world,” Castro said. KDH News.

Chinese media on Snowden: Washington ‘ate the dirt’ this time

Chinese media has described the Kremlin as the “winner” and the White House as the “loser” in the Snowden case, following Barack Obama’s cancellation of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this autumn.

An unsigned editorial piece in China’s English-language newspaper Global Times said that “Moscow displayed its national characteristics of decisiveness and boldness” and has kept Washington “at bay.” The article suggested that Moscow’s traits are of vital importance in an international climate of US dominance.

“Washington ate the dirt this time,” the article stated.

It goes on to compliment Russia, adding that the US seems to have accepted the fact that Moscow granted asylum to ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden. “Russia has impressed the world, which views the Kremlin as the ‘winner’ and the White House as the ‘loser,’” it said. RT.com.

Iowa Ethics Board to discuss social media rules for political candidates

DES MOINES, IA (AP) - The Iowa Board of Ethics is expected to discuss how political candidates should handle social media accounts.

The board is scheduled to meet Thursday. On the agenda is a proposed advisory opinion about whether social media accounts created for political purposes should include a disclosure known as a "paid for by" attribution.

Currently, political candidates or campaigns must include such a disclosure on advertisements, brochures and other items. The proposed opinion from the board says that Facebook and Twitter accounts created for political purposes should also include a "paid for by" attribution somewhere on the profile page.

If the account was free, the proposed opinion says the person who opens and manages the account is "paying" for the message.

The board is scheduled to discuss whether to adopt this opinion. News 8000.

Inside the Beltway: Ron Paul, media mogul

And now we know: Ron Paul will launch the feisty Ron Paul Channel on Monday with all original programming either live or on demand, available by subscription for $9.95 a month from the one-time Libertarian presidential hopeful. He says 200,000 potential subscribers expressed interest within hours of the project going public.

“Americans are tired of the games and the lies of today’s media. They want the truth,” Mr. Paul says. “Imagine this. No censors, no barricades, no statists. We will be able to engage viewers directly on subjects that matter most to them, from finances to civil liberties to foreign policy.”

The broadcast will be streamed live online, available via computer, tablet, smartphone and any Internet-connected TV. The technology “will allow me to engage directly with viewers. With the help of social media we can cut through the noise and get straight to the truth about subjects that matter most,” Mr. Paul notes. Such thinking served him well during the 2012 campaign, when his legions of young followers promoted a “Who is Ron Paul?” campaign faithfully online and in organized meet-ups. Washington Times.

Durga Sakthi Nagpal has been glorified as ‘Durgaji’ by media: Azam Khan

BAREILLY: Accusing the media of glorifying suspended IAS officer Durga Sakthi Nagpalas "Durgaji", senior Uttar Pradesh ministerMohd Azam Khan said her case was highlighted while other such suspensions went unnoticed.

"The media has projected Durga as Durgaji. Otherwise in such cases, officers from the level of managing director (MD) to chief engineer get suspended and not even a single line is published," Azam, who was here on a private visit, told reporters last night.

The minister said the issue of Nagpal's suspension has been blown out of proportion by the television news media and added that there would have been no dispute if the district magistrate had also been suspended.The Economic Times.

The NY Times Isn’t for Sale, Its Publisher Declares

After a week in which both The Boston Globe and The Washington Post were purchased by new owners, the publisher of The New York Times emphatically declared Wednesday night that the publication was not for sale.

In a statement, the publisher, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., who is also chairman of The New York Times Company, said that he and Michael Golden, the vice chairman, had spoken to Donald E. Graham, chairman and chief executive of The Washington Post Company, about his decision to sell The Post and some smaller newspapers and stressed that The Times did not plan to follow a similar path. New York Times.

Campaign Race On: Rudd, Abbott Woo Korean, Muslim and Chinese

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and rival Tony Abbott started the race off their campaign to two big voting populations, the Muslim and the Chinese Community.

Mr Rudd started off with a half-hour interview in Mandarin with Chinese newspapers as confirmed by his staff with TheAustralian.

His campaign effort to woo the Chinese community will be beneficial for the Australian Labor Party to unseat Liberal John Alexander in Bennelong.

Bennelong consists 17 per cent of the north western's Sydney electorate.

Mr Rudd's wooing campaign was held with different tactics to ensure that all targeted voters keep their interest and would answer yes to him and the Labor Party. For the younger voters, Labor launches social media campaigns. For the older voters, Labor held community-based campaign summoning all opinion leaders in key regions to promote meaningful messages to the people. International Business Times.

Journalists and bloggers are among several groups that have been harassed and threatened by authorities in the Russian city of Sochi in the build-up to next year’s Winter Olympics, reports Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Two journalists and a newspaper director are said to be facing criminal charges after reporting stories viewed by local authorities as negative.

Some journalists told HRW that the authorities are seeking to control information about the preparations for the Sochi games by pressuring editors to present them in a positive light.

In addition, several independent online news sources and blogs that have posted critical stories or comments about the Olympics have had their sites disabled by hackers. The Raw Story.

Pakistan wants peace but Indian media spoiling atmosphere: Ch. Nisar

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that Pakistan wants peace and security in the region but the blame game being undertaken by Indian media is spoiling the atmosphere for normalization of relations.
In a statement here on Wednesday‚ the minister said that Indian media's hue and cry over Line of Control (LoC) incident is not understandable.
The Interior Minister said how was it possible for the Pakistan Army to go up to 5 kilometer on the other side of the Line of Control to kill Indian troops despite barbed wire and heavy concentration of Indian troops.
He regretted that India was resorting to propaganda gimmicks by blaming the Pakistan Army. The Nation.

Egypt: SIS Chairman Meets Foreign Media On Current Events

Within the framework of the efforts exerted by State Information Service (SIS) to clarify realities and developments of the current scene in Egypt and related interactions, SIS Chairman Ambassador Mohamed Badreddin Zayed received Monday August 5, 2013 in his office Mr. Emmanuel Giraud director of AFP Cairo office, and Mr. Reza Sayah, director of CNN Cairo office in two separate meetings.

Ambassador Zayed said that he stressed, during the two meetings, the important role the media is playing particularly at this critical stage Egypt is going through. Ambassador Zayed called on media outlets to follow a precise and objective approach in covering the events taking place in Egypt and to be keen on conveying the message accurately and from all sides.

During the two meetings, Ambassador Zayed mentioned the steps taken by SIS to elucidate realities about the events taking place in Egypt , pointing out to the press conference SIS held recently in coordination with the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood and the National Council for Women to show political exploitation of the children by one side in the current crisis. All Africa.

India: Home Ministry Blocking Higher FDI in Media

The government has not liberalized the FDI regime in print and electronic media in view of concerns expressed by the Home Ministry, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs did not agree to liberalizing the FDI caps and/or entry routes in print and electronic media on account of it being a sensitive sector," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. He said the government has not amended the FDI caps in the sector.

To a separate question, Sharma said the government has taken the concerns of the Home Ministry into consideration while approving liberalization of FDI policy in other sectors.

"The ministry has also raised issues pertaining to 'investments of concerns' and in respect of different categories of investors and investments; source of investments and instruments of investment," he said.

While the government has raised FDI cap to 100% in telecom, it has allowed foreign airlines to buy 49% stake in Indian carriers. India West.

Sen. Edward Markey calls for FCC to intervene in CBS, TWC dispute

Customers have been calling on Time Warner Cable and CBS Corp. to resolve their ongoing carriage dispute that has resulted in channels going dark in several markets including Los Angeles and New York.

"I believe the public interest would be best served if carriage is restored by the parties at the earliest possible time so that consumers are not long caught in the middle," Markey said in a letter to the commission. Los Angeles Times.

STUDY: CONSERVATIVE MEDIA CAUSES VIEWERS TO DISTRUST SCIENTISTS

Few would question what seems to be a divide along political party lines as it pertains to belief in man-made climate change. A study by researchers at several U.S. universities has sought out why such a difference in opinion exists and is pointing the finger at the conservative media.

How are more conservative leaning outlets leading to a distrust in climate science? According to the study, by creating a distrust in scientists themselves.

The study – An attack on science? Media use, trust in scientists, and perceptions of global warming — was published by Public Understanding of Science. It calls Americans’ questioning man-made global warming, in part, “the product of a coordinated denial movement.” This movement “uses conservative media” to introduce doubt on the topic among its “ideologically receptive audiences” through a strategy that includes “undermining scientists and their research.” The Blaze.

Vietnam to ban discussion of news on social media sites

Vietnam is set to ban the discussion of politics, news and anything else that doesn't fall under the narrow definition of "personal information" on social media.

The new law, known as Decree 72, will make it a crime to use social media for anything other than to "provide or exchange personal information" and is expected to come into force in September.

"Individuals should not quote or share information from press agencies or websites of government agencies," the head of Vietnam's Broadcast and Electronic Information Department was reported to have said by AFP.

Additionally, Decree 72 targets Internet Service Providers, banning them from serving "information that is against Vietnam." Wired.

Conservatives Target New Washington Post Owner

Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos has become the target of conservative ire as the marriage equality supporter bought The Washington Post this week for $250 million.

Bezos and his wife MacKenzie donated $2.5 million last year in support of winning the marriage equality campaign in his home state of Washington. The initiative to approve Referendum 74 won with 53.7% of the vote.

According to Media Matters, the National Organization for Marriage quickly cautioned readers that the Post would "get a whole lot more one-sided about" the debate over marriage equality. Fox News columnist Dan Gainor said Bezos's support for marriage equality was "bad news." Meanwhile, David Harsanyi of Human Events and Noel Sheppard of News Busers, both conservative news sites, warned readers that those whose politics lean toward the right would not be pleased that the family-owned publication would likely not take a conservative turn under a highly anticipated new owner.

Bezos, is seen as somewhat of a libertarian, with a lean toward donating to Democrats like Sen. Patty Murray. However Amazon's political action committee has donated almost evenly between members of both parties, including moderate Republicans like Meg Whitman during her bid for governor of California. Advocate.

L’affaire Durga: UP government lashes out at unfair media coverage

The media coverage of the arbitrary suspension of young IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, for allegedly taking on the might of the sand mining mafia, came in for severe criticism from the state’s SP Government on Tuesday, with Health Minister Ahmed Hassan urging journalists not to go overboard on the issue. “(The)media should not project her. What is more painful (is the fact) that the media is playing into the hands of the communal forces and running a campaign against us. There are certain people in the media, who have vested interests, indulging in money-making and putting pressure on the government. I will not name (them), but there are black sheep in the media, campaigning against the Akhilesh Yadav Government.”

“We are facing this crisis, but will soon overcome the situation .The state government will not give into the blackmailing tactics .The media has deliberately failed to highlight how the mosque was demolished by that lady and no picture of the demolished mosque has appeared in newspapers and channels. I am ashamed to say this. Please do some introspection and support the government,“ he said at a function here, which was also attended by the CM. The New Indian Express.

Judge sides with media in prison case challenge

BOISE, IDAHO (AP) — A federal judge has sided with a coalition of 17 Idaho news organizations in denying a request by a private prison operator to seal whatever it wants in a lawsuit filed by inmates.

U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge issued an order Tuesday scaling back the expansive protection order sought by the Corrections Corporation of America — Idaho's private prison contractor.

Earlier this year, CCA attorneys sought permission to seal a wide range of court records on grounds it needed to hide certain information from public view for security and privacy reasons.

Govt’s social media warning slammed

Media experts and netizens on Tuesday spoke out against the government's warning not to 'like' or share political postings on social media websites, insisting that neither action should be considered a crime.

The outrage was prompted by a statement made by Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Minister Anudith Nakornthap on Monday.

The minister said internet users need to be wary that clicking 'like' and sharing hearsay about possible coups and violence could be deemed as damaging national security, hence breaching the Internal Security Act and the Computer Crime Act.

According to the Computer Crime Act, perpetrators who import data to a computer system that is likely to damage the country's security or cause public panic face imprisonment and a fine.

In India, politicians’ enthusiasm for social media dims after Assembly polls

The former Minister and BJP political heavyweight in north Bangalore, S. Suresh Kumar, in May won the Assembly elections from Rajajinagar by a margin of 13,000 votes. The constituency has around 2.2 lakh registered voters and while there is no data on the percentage of the population digitally active, the sizeable number of educated and middle-class people here indicates that a good number of them are online, and by extension, on social media.

STUDY CONDUCTED

A much-talked-about study on the impact of social media on elections, conducted by the Iris Knowledge Foundation last year, extrapolated similar data and claimed social media had a definitive impact on Indian politics. Going by the methodology adopted in this study, one can safely assume that in a constituency such as Rajajinagar, a margin of 13,000 votes can easily be bridged using social media.

Though the debate on whether social media impacts electoral choices is just beginning, Karnataka’s politicians — who had enthusiastically taken to new media to reach out to newer, younger and more tech-savvy audiences during the recent elections— appear to have fallen off the social media bandwagon. The Hindu.

Weekly Standard Uses Gosnell To Smear Choice Advocate Wendy Davis

The Weekly Standard attacked Texas state senator Wendy Davis for not responding to the right-wing magazine's attempt to link legal abortion to convicted murderer Kermit Gosnell, continuing the right-wing media's attempt to use the case to smear women's health and choice advocates.

In an August 5 post, the Weekly Standard wrote about a recent appearance at the National Press Club in which Davis spoke about her successful filibuster of a Texas anti-choice bill. The Standard asked Davis at the event whether there was a distinction between the actions of convicted Philadelphia murderer Kermit Gosnell and "legal late-term abortions" at 23 weeks." Davis responded "I don't know what happened in the Gosnell case" and went on to describe the effects that the Texas bill would have on reproductive access. The Standard attacked Davis, writing that she "has become a champion for pro-choice activists, but during her recent whirlwind national media tour, she never commented on late-term abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted of murder in May for killing infants moments after they were born."

The restrictive bill that Davis has been fighting limits access to legal abortions and has nothing to do with Gosnell, whose acts were already illegal. The bill would limit reproductive access in the state by closing an estimated 90% of legal abortion facilities in Texas by imposing requirements that could only be met by five existing centers, according to the AP:

The first requirement of the bill is for all abortions to take place in surgical centers, facilities designed to cope with major surgeries that could lead to life-threatening complications. The majority of abortions are not surgical procedures, and 37 of the state's 42 abortion clinics don't meet that new standard, so many would need to relocate and spend millions of dollars to reach it.

Those five remaining clinics are in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and two in Houston. A woman living along the Mexico border or in West Texas would have to drive hundreds of miles to obtain an abortion if the law passes. Media Matters.

Liberal groups joins RNC’s fight against CNN, NBC

The founder of Media Matters, a left-leaning media watchdog group, is joining the Republican National Committee’s call for CNN and NBC to halt their plans to produce programming about former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the organization announced Tuesday.

“Given that this project could coincide with a potential Clinton presidential campaign, the timing raises too many questions about fairness and conflicts of interest ahead of of the 2016 election,” writes Media Matters founder David Brock in letters sent Tuesday to the heads of CNN and NBC.

NBC is planning to develop a miniseries about Clinton, a possible 2016 presidential candidate, while CNN plans to produce a documentary about her. Washington Post.

Hartmann said he was not aware of Limbaugh’s numbers, but based on his knowledge of advertising revenue from progressive talk radio the Media Matters boycott caused many companies to simply abandon political talk radio advertising all together:

THOM HARTMANN: David Brock and Media Matters were leading the boycott Limbaugh crusade, which did presumably some damage to Limbaugh’s show. I can tell you it did a lot of damage to progressive talk radio, because a lot of advertisers, right across the board, said just pull me out of all talk radio. I don’t know Limbaugh’s numbers, but I do know that, on our side, progressive talk radio took a hit as a consequence. The Washington Free Beacon.

Oklahoma campaign starts out in social media

On social media

Race heats up fast

Mayor Mick Cornett's announcement that he will seek re-election sets up a race against Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid, who said earlier this summer that he was running. Filing for office is in late January, so the field could change, but the campaign is well underway on social media, where both candidates first announced their campaigns. The Oklahoman.

Egypt’s Media Reforms

Egypt's interim head of state Adly Mansour has introduced a raft of changes to the law governing state media in Egypt, state news agency MENA reported.

According to the presidential decree issued on Monday, interim President Adly Mansour is to form a 15-member interim Supreme Council of Press to oversee Egypt's press affairs, after an Islamist-dominant board was dissolved on the heels of the overthrow of Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on 3 July amid nationwide protests against his rule.

The Supreme Council of Press (SCP) was established in 1980 to preside over state-owned press organisations.

The new SCP 15-member board will comprise of the head and members of the Journalists' Syndicate, press professors, and lawmakers along with prominent public figures and writers. The panel of the Cairo-based council serves for a four-year term. Albawaba News.

Journalists in Tanzania ‘threatened, attacked’

DAR ES SALAAM (AFP) – Journalists in Tanzania face increasing threats and lack government protection, with at least ten attacks against the media in the past year, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.

"Despite Tanzania's reputation for transparency and democracy, its citizens are being denied vital information," the New York-based CPJ warned in a report criticising "a rise in anti-press attacks set against a backdrop of repressive laws."

A people’s history of shale gas: How the media story moved from myth to reality

Media coverage of shale gas seems to be moving on. Suddenly, Britain's shale gas naysayers aren't just " Swampy-style eco-warriors" or " green zealots" denying the UK a shale gas " bonanza" promised in some sections of the media. East Sussex's anti-fracking protesters are just as likely to be the local vicar as they are to be from Greenpeace, and MPs are issuing " doomsday alerts" about fracking, warning that the technology poses a threat to the countryside.

A few weeks ago shale gas was an active, but fairly niche part of the energy wonk debate - revolving mainly around how much shale gas the UK has got, and what a new supply of how-grown energy would mean for energy bills.

Large parts of the media appeared overwhelmingly in favour of the new industry - building on two years of optimism about shale gas might mean for the UK. But as test drilling moves into a village in leafy East Sussex, shale gas isn't an exciting possibility any longer - it's an altogether more divisive reality.

So how did the media story get here - and what's going to happen as the industry develops on the ground? We chart the course of the shale gas debate over the past two years - and where it might be going next. The Carbon Brief.

India opposition BJP taps into social media to drum up support

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party is tapping into new communication platforms in a big way as it prepares for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, aiming to enrol 10 million members and associates over the next few months.

BJP leaders said they will use new media for “crowd sourcing [obtaining ideas from the online community]” and will also open a window on the party’s website for suggestions from people.

A campaign, launched by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) last month, portrays Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a “youth icon” and makes use of platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to reach out to youth.

“Since the time Narendra Modi was appointed head of the party’s campaign committee for the Lok Sabha polls, youth want to associate with the BJP with great vigour,” BJYM president Anurag Thakur said.
The BJYM has launched a two-pronged “Young member, Young friend” campaign. The first seeks to enrol the youth using internet platforms, including social media. The other is a door-to-door membership drive that aims to enrol young people in the 18-35 age-group across the country. Gulf News.

Dominance of politics in media inevitable in transition: Editors

KATHMANDU -- The ongoing political transition has led to the domination of political coverage in the country’s daily newspapers, according to the editors of two leading newspapers.

Speaking at the third iteration of ‘Voices’, a monthly interaction programme organised jointly by the Embassy of India and the BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation in the Capital on Friday, Akhilesh Upadhyay and Sudheer Sharma, editors-in-chief of The Kathmandu Post and the Kantipur dailies, respectively, opined that political domination will continue unless there is political stability in the country.

They claimed that despite their wish to prioritise social issues, they cannot because politics is driving all the sectors. “We can’t expect the media sector to perform perfectly when the political situation of the country is not intact,” Upadhyay lamented. EKantipur.com

Bei Bei Shuai trial preparations: Getting ready for the media

Reporters were texting, tweeting and typing on laptops Friday in a Marion County courtroom where the use of electronic devices is prohibited.

But the wireless digital messages emanating from Marion Superior Judge Sheila A. Carlisle’s courtroom were not the product of disregard for decorum and court rules. They were part of a test conducted in advance of the murder trial of Bei Bei Shuai, which begins next month and is expected to attract widespread media and public attention.

The goal of the test, Carlisle explained during a pre-trial meeting with reporters covering the trial, is to determine if smart phones, laptops or digital tablets can be used in the courtroom without interfering with the court’s audio recording equipment. Indianapolis Star.

Fox’s Month Of Inaccurate Minimum Wage Coverage

A Majority Of Fox News' July Coverage Of The Minimum Wage Claimed Wage HikesIncreased Unemployment. A Media Matters count of Fox News segments covering the minimum wage during the month of July determined that 24 out of 37 segments -- 65 percent -- included the myth that increasing the minimum wage would cause job losses.

Only One Fox News Segment Acknowledged That Minimum Wage Raises Do Not Cause Unemployment. Only one segment, or just under three percent of Fox News' coverage, acknowledged the fact that minimum wage hikes are not correlated with unemployment.

68 Percent Of Fox News' Segments Focused On D.C.'s Effort To Enact A Living Wage. Twenty-five of the 37 segmentsconcerning the minimum wage focused on the D.C. Large Retailer Accountability Act, a pending D.C. City Council bill to enact a living wage of $12.50 per hour for employees at big box retailers with annual incomes of at least $1 billion.

Of Those Segments, 72 Percent Claimed D.C.'s Living Wage Bill Would Lead To Job Losses. Eighteen of Fox's 25 segments discussing the D.C. Large Retailer Accountability Act claimed that the bill would increase unemployment. Media Matters.

Egypt Invites Media Coverage of Clearouts

The government in Cairo called on media representatives, Thursday evening, to cover the clearing-out of squares where supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi gathered to demonstrate. No starting time was announced.

Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Bahaa El-Din tweeted on Twitter that photographers would be invited to document the clearing-out process from close by at Rabia Al-Adawiya Square in Cairo and Nahda Square near Cairo University in Giza. Arutz Sheva 7.

With Congress: Indian National Congress Hunts For Social Media Volunteers Yet Again

Cracking social media has been one of the tough nuts for the 125 year old political party – Indian National Congress. The party which is one of the oldest political party of the country realises the fact and from the beginning of this year has been pushing social media initiatives. The latest being the With Congress campaign that is looking for volunteers to strengthen its base on social media.

The campaign is a volunteer driven initiative to promote Indian National Congress’ initiatives and views to the people of India. If you are interested in this voluntary service then you can fill up the form provided on the site. Once selected you would receive authentic and validated content that you would require to share and garner a bigger reach.

Interestingly the form collects your social media details too such as if you have a Twitter/ Facebook/ Blog, etc. It is quite obvious that the party is looking for supporters who are also quite active on social media and have an influence too. The motive is to gather bigger reach making the netizens as the brand advocates. Business 2 Community.

Senate presses ahead with media shield law

(AP) The Senate is pressing ahead on legislation to protect reporters and the news media, toughening rules on subpoenaing phone records and requiring advanced notice of requests for information.

The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday to begin considering legislation sponsored by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a key proponent of a federal media shield law who was unsuccessful four years ago. The panel is expected to begin work on the measure _ it has yet to draw sponsors or opponents _ but final action on the 21-page bill is likely after Congress' August recess. Post Bulletin.

Vietnam social media news sharing restrictions lead to outcry

Another user, Huong Nguyen, wrote that the decree was "evidence that the government doesn't understand the trend of society to become more open."

Decree 72 on "Management, Provision, Use of Internet Services and Information Content Online" states that blogs and social media sites must only contain personal information.

"Personal electronic sites are only allowed to put news owned by that person, and are not allowed to 'quote', 'gather' or summarise information from press organisations or government websites," local media quoted Hoang Vinh Bao, director of the Broadcasting and Electronic Information Department at the Ministry of Information and Communications, as saying.

The ban was approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on July 15, communicated to Vietnamese press late Wednesday, and was due to come into force on September 1. Times Live.

Anthony Howard, who died in 2010, was among the most acute political commentators of his generation, a familiar face and voice on television and radio, and a distinguished editor. He also had an exceptional ability to encourage young writers.

Now, in his memory, Haymarket Media Group has agreed to fund an annual bursary of £25,000 a year for aspiring journalists under the age of 25 who want to write about politics and government.

Applicants must propose a subject for a 5,000 word essay for publication in 2014. The successful candidate will serve three successive internships of 14 weeks each, starting in October this year, at the publications with which Howard was most closely associated - The Times, The Observerand the New Statesman. The scheme will run for five years. The Guardian.

Vietnam isn’t a country known for enabling freedom of expression, but things look like they could get all the more concerning. Media reports claim that the country, which routinely jails bloggers and has state-run media, has turned its attention to social media with a new clampdown.

The government this week announced a new decree stipulating that blogs and social media profiles belonging to individuals and businesses should contain personal information only, according to the Bangkok Post.

Fox News Figures Call For New Benghazi Investigation

Fox News figures took part in a press conference today announcing a "citizen's commission" to investigate the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. In the process they promoted outlandish conspiracies about the incident while re-hashing false stories that have been investigated and debunked.

The event was organized by Accuracy in Media (AIM), a fringe conservative group responsible for promoting many conspiracy theories over the years. Roger Aronoff, AIM's editor, led the event.

Tribune, pillar of journalism in Nigeria – Osoba

Former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba has described the Nigerian Tribune newspaper as a pillar of journalism in Oyo State and Nigeria in general.

Chief Osoba, made this declaration on Tuesday at the Dapo Aderogba Hall of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State, Ibadan, during the launching of the books titiled, “Talking at Random and Yoruba Traditional Religion”

He said “I am happy that journalism is still strong in Ibadan because of the presence of Tribune newspapers. It has weathered storms and remain the only surviving private newspapers in Nigeria, I pray that Tribune continue to grow from strength to strength, especially because of its founder Chief Obafemi Awolowo who is still a role model.” Nigerian Tribune.

Poynter Publishes New Journalism Ethics Book

The Poynter Institute, an international strategy center and a leader in journalism education, has announced the publication of a pivotal new book on media ethics in the digital age. "The New Ethics of Journalism: Principles for the 21st Century" (SAGE/CQ Press, 2013) provides an evolved set of guidelines and principles for journalists, students, and mass communicators, with chapters contributed by 14 of media's top thought leaders and practitioners.

The book examines the unique problems of searching for trust and building trust in the 21 st century: Vetting and verifying information in the vast arena of social media; the effects of interactive social media on storytelling and news gathering; the contextual meaning of stories and the value of images; and the evolving role of a community of citizen journalists and individual documentarians in the production of news.

The book is co-edited by Poynter Senior Faculty Kelly McBride and Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute. Books.broadwayworld.com

Int’l media body calls for radio licences’ review

Almost three months after top officials of the International Press Institute (IPI) visited Guyana, that watchdog media grouping, in a report, has called on Government to begin a review of all outstanding broadcast licence applications, including those filed before the Broadcast Act took effect.
IPI also urged, in the report released Monday, that the granting of any new television and radio licences be done transparently and under the guidance of an independent Broadcast Authority.
Executive Director, Alison Bethel McKenzie; Executive Board Vice-Chair John Yearwood; and Press Freedom Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean, Scott Griffen, were the ones who visited five Caribbean countries, including Guyana.
The IPI’s three-week visit to the region was to check on progress made by the countries to eliminate old criminal defamation laws.
While here, the IPI team met with media workers, editors and publishers, and Government officials including Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; Attorney General Anil Nandlall; and Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira.
There were complaints, especially by the private media, of harassment as well as the controversial and unfair manner in which former President Bharrat Jagdeo issued a number of radio licences and two for cable operations, days before he left office in November 2011. Kaieteur News Online.

Conservative Groups Want End to IRS Media Blackout

Nearly 200 conservative and Tea Party leaders are demanding that major news media outlets end their virtual blackout on the IRS targeting scandal.

Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, is spear-heading the move, along with conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, and other prominent conservatives.

"The liberal media's refusal to cover the IRS scandal -- more than the NSA scandal, more than DOJ's surveillance of journalists, more even than the tragic loss of life in Benghazi -- cuts to the very heart of their corruption," they said in a joint statement released July 25.

"No fair, objective journalist can look at the facts of this flagrant abuse of power and not conclude that it is a massive political scandal deserving of constant, merciless scrutiny," they said. CBN News.

New TV channel adds Israel’s voice to plethora of international media coverage

TEL AVIV, Israel — State-of-the-art TV studios above an ancient Mideast port signal Israel’s arrival in a modern media landscape in which countries increasingly seek to broadcast their own perspective to the world.

Israel advocates have long alleged that their country is portrayed in an unfair and one-dimensional way by the international media, largely as an occupier of the Palestinians.

Now the answer has arrived in the form of i24news — the first international channel dedicated to reporting the news from an Israeli point of view. Its goal is to tell the rest of the Israel story in English, Arabic and French.

The new station’s founders insist they aren’t an Israeli version of the Qatar-funded Al-Jazeera pan-Arab channel. They receive no government funding, hold no political affiliation and pledge to cover the news dispassionately and objectively.Washington Post.

Rush Limbaugh says the Republican Party is pushing itself away from the conservative base and "capitulating" to President Obama on key policy issues like health care reform and immigration.

In a rare, wideranging interview with Fox News host Greta Van Susteren on Tuesday, the conservative talk-radio host said that "the Republican leadership isn't conservative" and that it spent more time fighting the tea party than it did Obama's policies.

"I always thought that as Republicans we opposed Democrats. We wanted to beat them. I don't see that. I don't see any pushback against anything Obama wants to do," Limbaugh told Van Susteren. "The pushback's against the Tea Party. The pushback is against conservatives. It's a stunning thing. The Republican Party's decided that capitulation with the Democrats seems to be the ongoing strategy." Politico.

Israel media question Netanyahu motives for talks

Israeli and Palestinian officials were meeting Tuesday in Washington for a second day of direct talks -- their first in three years. The State Department said they would continue for at least nine months.

Israel's chief negotiator, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, stressed the talks were resuming "not just in response to U.S. pressure but because it's in the interest of both parties."

But commentators questioned Netanyahu's motives and what concessions he would be willing to make after his government approved the contentious release of long-serving Palestinian prisoners.

"The question is whether Netanyahu is happy with simply holding negotiations or if he really wants to reach a peace accord," public radio presenter Chico Menache said. Egypt Independent.

Never Too Late to Protest The Rolling Stone Cover

The furor over Janet Reitman’s Rolling Stone cover story on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, which reached a fever pitch last week when stores including Walgreens and CVS announced they wouldn’t sell the issue of the magazine, has mostly subsided. But that doesn’t mean everybody has moved on.

On Monday, a very small group gathered outside of Rolling Stone’s Avenue of the Americas offices, bullhorn in hand, ready to protest the story.

The protesters were led by A.J. Weberman, a Hawaiian-shirt-clad former Yippie who became famous for going through Bob Dylan’s trash and is a current activist with the Jewish Defense Organization, a militant Zionist group. New York Observer.

Saudi Website Editor Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison, Lashes

The editor of a Saudi Arabian social website has been sentenced to seven years in prison and 600 lashes for founding an internet forum that violates Islamic values and propagates liberal thought, Saudi media reported on Tuesday.

Raif Badawi, who started the “Free Saudi Liberals” website to discuss the role of religion in Saudi Arabia, has been held since June 2012 on charges of cyber crime and disobeying his father – a crime in the conservative kingdom and top U.S. ally.

Al-Watan newspaper said the judge had also ordered the closure of the website.

France was concerned by the sentence and remained committed to “freedom of opinion and of expression”, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Officials from the Saudi National Society for Human Rights could not be reached for comment.

Badawi’s website included articles that were critical of senior religious figures such as the Grand Mufti, according to Human Rights Watch. Gulf Business.

Uganda Deports U.S. Journalist Over Political Opposition Coverage

On Friday 26 July 2013, the Ugandan government deported an American journalist, Taylor Krauss, over coverage of opposition related news in the capital of Kampala. He was detained for three days in a police cell without any charges preferred against him. He was accused of violating the country's immigration rules and working within the country illegally.

Details of the deportation could not be verified as the airport spokesperson couldn't confirm it because he was 'in a meeting'. But it was confirmed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, "If he is not at Jinja Road Police Station, then he has been taken to the airport. He has not been brought here (Internal Affairs Ministry headquarters). If you need to see him, go to the airport at Entebbe now," the Internal Affairs spokesperson, Jacob Simunyu, told HRNJ-Uganda Friday evening, adding that, "He was not charged because he was removed administratively".

Krauss was arrested on 23 July along Kampala Road as he filmed a police operation where they tear-gassed crowds and towed a car carrying the former Forum for Democratic Change leader, Dr Kizza Besigye. He was detained at Jinja Road Police Station, in a suburb of Kampala, as the government processed an air ticket to fly him out of the country. All Africa.

Media ejected from Uhuru, mobile operators’ case

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 30 – The Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court on Tuesday kicked out journalists from two cases filed by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s lawyer Stephen Kay against mobile phone operators Safaricom and Airtel.

The media was asked to leave the courtroom following filing of the request by Kay, to ensure that the proceedings were kept secret.

Kay, who is represented by Ogetto, Otachi and Company Advocates, wants access to certain information from the two mobile providers but it is still unclear what he is after.

India: Use media to talk about growth, CM tells party

Chief Minister and BJP's Election Campaign Committee chairman Narendra Modi urged the party to utilise the news media to convey the message of "development and good governance" to the people on a large scale. Modi was addressing a state-level media training workshop organised by the party in Gandhinagar on Tuesday, an official party release said.

He said the country was fed up with "directionless and corrupt" leadership of the Congress which was trying to "mislead" people by spreading "falsehoods" about corruption and price-rise. He said the BJP's media teams should be armed with accurate information and make "positive use" of news media in exposing "bad" deeds of rulers in Delhi and ensure a "Congress-free India". The Indian Express.

MEDIA MATTERS: NBC’S HILLARY MINISERIES A ‘CONFLICT OF INTEREST’

It’s not everyday that Media Matters cites Fox News other than to rebut any and everything that comes out of the place. But it’s one of those days.

The liberal nonprofit — dedicated to monitoring conservative media — is calling into question NBC’s Friday announcement that it will produce a four-hour miniseries about former state secretaryHillary Clinton heading into the 2016 presidential campaign season.

From Media Matters: " As Fox News suggested, will airing a Clinton miniseries pressure NBC to provide equal time to other presidential candidates?" The Blaze.

Fox Business provided a platform for a corporate lobbyist with clients in the fast food industry to dismiss striking workers' demands for higher wages without disclosing his industry ties.

Labor organizers in seven cities across the U.S. planned the largest employee walk out of the year for July 29. Thousands of employees in Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Flint, Detroit, and New York City will take part in what is potentially the largest fast food worker mobilization in history demanding better wages and stronger benefits from some of the country's largest and most profitable corporations.

On the July 29 edition of Fox Business' Varney & Co., host Stuart Varney interviewed Richard Berman of the Employment Policies Institute to provide a critical analysis of the walk outs. Berman dismissed the idea of raising fast food employee wages, claiming that the hike in pay would result in lower employment.

Berman, a corporate lobbyist, was allowed to provide this input without disclosing his organization's ties to the fast food industry. According to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the Employment Policies Institute is one of many front groups associated with Berman which provide political cover for clients in the restaurant, hospitality, alcohol, and tobacco industries. Berman specializes in a so-called "aggressive media outreach" approach intended to "change the debate" in favor of major clients. Media Matters.

UMSL Professor: Social Media + Politics = Potential Disaster

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – A few words of advice from a St. Louis political expert that New York City mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner, and many others, probably wishes they’d heeded.

“For Heaven’s sake, don’t put stuff onsocial media that you don’t want to live forever!,” says University of Missouri-St. Louis political science professor Dave Robertson. “If you want to say something wait at least 12 hours before you say it.”

Robertson points out that Weiner’s self-inflicted woes certainly aren’t the only textbook case of the pitfalls of social media for public figures — just the latest one.

Anyone can make mistakes, he allows, especially if you consider we’re still in the infancy of using social media that can transmit even the most mundane idea or opinion around the globe in a heartbeat with thesimple push of a button. KMOX-St. Louis.

European Parliamentarians call on President Obama to free Bradley Manning

Open Letter from Members of the European Parliament
to President Barack Obama and US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel

As Members of the European Parliament, who were elected to represent our constituents throughout Europe, we are writing to express our concerns about the ongoing persecution of Bradley Manning, the young U.S. soldier who released classified information revealing evidence of human rights abuses and apparent war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The U.S. Army has charged Private First Class Manning with 21 different crimes, including ‘Aiding the Enemy’; a capital charge. To convict a person who leaked information to the media of “Aiding the Enemy” would set a terrible precedent. Although we understand the US government is not seeking the death penalty for Bradley Manning, there would be nothing to stop this from happening in future cases. As it is, PFC Manning faces the possibility of life in prison without parole, recently rejected as “inhuman and degrading treatment” by the European Court of Human Rights.

We agree with Amnesty International that the U.S. government should immediately drop the most serious charges against PFC Bradley Manning, and that to charge Bradley Manning with ‘aiding the enemy’ is‘ludicrous’ – a ‘travesty of justice’ which ‘makes a mockery of the US military court system’. Bradley Manning Support Network.

NBC News Integrates GlobalPost Coverage

NBC News has an agreement with GlobalPost to integrate its international coverage into its digital platforms, including NBCNews.com and msnbc.com. That includes GlobalPost’s digital video.

The arrangement also includes using GlobalPost correspondents and reach for on-air coverage outside the U.S. That likely dovetails with news organizations decreasing budgets for international bureaus.

GlobalPost has 13 correspondents around the world and a network of freelancers. Stories on the site Monday included plans for the Moscow metro to use cell phone trackers to monitor suspicious activity and a famed Ukranian boxer’s entry into politics in the country. Media Post News.

Assange On CNN: Convicting Bradley Manning ‘Will Be The End Of National Security Journalism In The United States’

The fate of ex-Army private Bradley Manning will be decided tomorrow, and if he is found guilty of aiding the enemy by releasing a trove of documents to WikiLeaks, he could face prison for life. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange weighed in on the potential verdict on CNN today, telling Jake Tapper that the way the government has gone after Manning presents a very dangerous precedent to journalists seeking to expose government secrets, leading to what Assange said would be “the end… of national security journalism in the United States.”

Assange told Tapper there’s been “lots of spin” from the government about the consequences of Manning’s actions, even the assertion that the information he released would put Americans at risk. Assange said that narrative was proved to be “entirely false” and claimed that Manning’s information led in part to the events of the Arab Spring. Mediaite.

Hamas Goes on Offense Against Egyptian Media

The Egyptian crisis is having negative political and economic effects on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. After initially maintaining silence, Hamas last week moved to close the Gaza offices of Maan News Agency and Al Arabiya.

Hamas accused some Palestinian media outlets of behaving like some Egyptian media outlets and “fabricating” stories about Hamas’ relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and its interference in Egyptian affairs, both politically and on the ground.

On the evening of Thursday [July 25] the police came to the headquarters of Al Arabiya and Maan news agencies in Gaza City, informed them of the attorney general’s order to close their offices, and ordered their workers to leave immediately. The directors of the two media offices told Al-Monitor that the police showed them the attorney general’s order, but refused to hand over copies. Al-Monitor.

Washington Post TV: Network Launches Two Political Web Shows

WASHINGTON -– In a newly renovated section of the The Washington Post’s fourth-floor newsroom, seven words are scrawled atop a wall-sized chalkboard: “Would you watch it or share it?”

That’s the question PostTV producers and hosts have been asking about each potential live or taped segment in preparation for this week's launch of the news outlet's two signature political web shows. On Monday, Post reporter Nia-Malika Henderson hosts “On Background,”a daily interactive interview show covering politics and policy that airs daily at 12:30 p.m. Reporters Chris Cillizza and Jackie Kucinich kick off their daily political series, “In Play,” at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Steven Ginsberg, The Washington Post senior politics editor, told The Huffington Post that the investment in video is the “biggest commitment” to any one project he’s seen in nearly two decades at the paper. Huffington Post.

Malaysian Government Freezes Film Release Over Communism Claims

The Malaysian government has ordered the release of director Wong Kew Lit’s historical dramaThe New Village indefinitely delayed, following complaints in the country’s conservative press and on social media that it glorifies communism.

The film, a period feature told in Mandarin Chinese, tells a love story set in Malaysia’s tumultuous “Malayan Emergency” period of the 1940s and 50s, when a communist uprising, lead largely by the country’s ethnic Chinese population, fought for independence from British colonial rule.

According to the director and his team, the film was approved for commercial exhibition by the Malaysian Film Censorship Board (LPF) on Sept. 4 of 2012 and given a P13 classification (roughly equivalent to PG13 in the U.S.). Following the stamp of approval from the LPF, the country’s National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) set its release date for Aug. 22.

But when a trailer for The New Village was posted to Youtube in June, a series of conservative editorials in local dailies attacked the film, suggesting – based solely on the trailer – that it portrays the communist uprising as heroic.

China: Dreaming of docile news media

“Correct guidance of public opinion,” the notion media must adhere to the discipline guidelines of the Chinese Communist Party in order to maintain social and political stability, remains the crux of press controls in China. But now, under the leadership of Xi Jinping, “correct guidance” is being retrofitted for the “Chinese dream,” the ruling Party’s latest leadership vision.

A piece posted today by the official Xinhua News Agency again emphasizes the need for media to adhere to “correct guidance” in order to create “positive energy” for the realization of the Chinese dream. Typical of Party writings about ideological discipline in the media, the tone of the piece is highly moralistic, suggesting media in China today have suffered a “downward slide” in values. They have erred from the “mainstream,” meaning the Party line, to cynically pursue negative coverage and amplify “rumours” emerging on the internet. China Media Project.

Turkish defense minister slams foreign media over Egypt coverage

Turkish Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz has condemned the foreign media over its lack of coverage of the killings in Egypt, saying the media has not shown the same sensitivity that it has for “whales at the pole” or “seabirds in the gulf.”

“They call it a double standard. Calling it a double standard about what the foreign media did even falls short. Hundreds are dying in Syria. Do you ever hear about it? Or in Egypt?” Yılmaz told Anadolu Agency.

“Did you see any live broadcast on CNN or BBC?” Yılmaz asked, referring to Egyptian people’s rallies across the country. “I guess they show [those incidents] like an ordinary events. The foreign media doesn’t show the sensitivity that they have shown to whales at the pole or seabirds in the gulf to the Egyptian people.” The Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey).

Glenn Greenwald To Testify Before Congress About NSA Surveillance Programs

Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who broke the story on top-secret NSA surveillance programs earlier this summer, will testify before a congressional committee.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), who is leading the Wednesday congressional hearing that has invited critics of the NSA programs to testify, told The Guardian, "I think that most people simply don't understand that, despite the news coverage, which my view has been extremely unfocused. There has been far too much discussion of the leaker, and not enough discussion of the leak."

Turkish PM threatens to sue newspaper

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to sue the Times of London for publishing an open letter by a group of celebrities, academics and others criticising his handling of anti-government protests.

Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon and Ben Kingsley were among those who signed the letter that accused Erdogan's government of "dictatorial rule" and of causing the deaths of five protesters who died after clashes with police.

"The press wants to throw mud to see if it sticks. The Times is renting out its own pages for money," Erdogan told reporters on Friday in comments broadcast live by NTV channel.

"This is the Times' failing. We will pursue legal channels regarding the Times," he said. Al Jazeera.

Venezuela Gov’t Targets Newspaper Editor

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuela's chief prosecutor said she has asked a court to freeze the assets of the editor of one of the country's two major opposition newspapers. El Nacional editor Miguel Henrique Otero called the move an attack on freedom of expression in statements published Sunday.

Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz said the case stems from an illegal-enrichment investigation against former Caracas Mayor Alfredo Pena. The mayor had sued Otero, alleging he owes him $3.5 million. Ortega said she doesn't know where the ex-mayor got the money or what the loan was for, but she said her office will investigate possible criminal activity, according to a statement posted on her agency's website.

If granted, the action would freeze Otero's bank accounts and block him from selling or disposing of his property. ABC News.

Cumulus planning to drop Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity

In a major shakeup for the radio industry, Cumulus Media, the second-biggest broadcaster in the country, is planning to drop both Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity from its stations at the end of the year, an industry source told POLITICO on Sunday.

Cumulus has decided that it will not renew its contracts with either host, the source said, a move that would remove the two most highly rated conservative talk personalities from more than 40 Cumulus channels in major markets.

The decision comes after negotiations between Cumulus and Premiere Networks, the division of Clear Channel that distributes Limbaugh and Hannity's shows, broke down due to disagreements over the cost of the distribution rights, the source said. Cumulus is known to drive a hard bargain on costs, and Clear Channel is known to seek top dollar for big names.

As industry insiders caution, Cumulus and Clear Channel have come to the brink before during contract negotiations only to resume talks. But the source told POLITICO that Clear Channel was unlikely to reduce the cost for distribution rights to a level that would satisfy Cumulus. Politico.

“Consider This” will air weeknights on AJAM, and will feature newsmaker interviews, panel discussions and interactive segments where viewers can take part via social media.

“Antonio has enormous experience as a reporter, anchor and interviewer,” said Paul Eedle, Al Jazeera America’s deputy launch manager in charge of programs in a statement. ”His enquiring mind and warmth on screen will make ‘Consider This’ a home for smart conversation with a wide variety of people across the country.” TV Newser.

The Washington Post has hired Reid Wilson, editor-in-chief of National Journal's 'Hotline' tipsheet, to oversee a new project covering state and local government news, executive editor Marty Baron announced today.

The project, called GovBeat, "will cover legislative and political trends and highlight innovative policy prescriptions, with a mix of news, analysis, charts and data," Baron wrote in a memo to the newsroom. "GovBeat will also engage government workers, policy makers and those involved in the business of local and state governments in an ongoing conversation about the challenges they face and how those relate to Washington."

Wilson, who has covered Washington politics for National Journal, RealClearPolitics and The Hill, among others, has been editor-in-chief of Hotline since 2010. The position has previously been occupied by such marquee names as Chuck Todd, now NBC News political director, and Amy Walter, the former ABC News political director who now serves as national editor of the Cook Political Report. Politico.

Kate Middleton Post-Baby Body Media Coverage: Disrespectful to Women?

Since the moment she and Prince William presented Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge to the world, her figure became a talking point.

Reactions to her appearance ranged from positive to negative to just plain curious.

“Why Does Kate Middleton Still Have Her Baby Bump?” screamed one headline.

“Kate Middleton's royal baby post-bump is a boost of confidence for mums everywhere,” another said. "How can she look so pretty just after giving birth?"

One fashion blogger wrote “in all honesty, the dress was not pleasing to the eye, neither was the stomach. I hope she gets her post-maternity bod soon.” The Hollywood Gossip.

Beyond the buzz of political tweets

What happens when the nation's most important political parties appoint experts to lead social media teams? Irrespective of whether it is the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party that heads in the elections due next year, it is clear that Twitter and Facebook are winners of sorts. Coming in the wake of the Arab Spring and the Anna Hazare movement in India, it is clear that social media is going to play a role in the next elections as seen in this column more than a year ago.

But how do common people perceive the social media war between political groups? "Trending" with Twitter hashtags on leading topics may set the tone for mainstream media taking note of hot topics, but the real deal is the impressions that parties create in the minds of ordinary people and voters. Hindustan Times.

Royal Baby Poll: Most Say Media Covered The Story Too Much

The poll found that 63 percent of Americans think the media have dedicated too much time to the newborn offspring of Kate Middleton and Prince William. Twenty-three percent said the media have spent about the right amount of time, while only 2 percent were left wanting more. Twelve percent said they weren't sure.

In fact, few Americans admitted to mustering much interest in the duchess of Cambridge's pregnancy and the birth of her son, Prince George Alexander Louis. Nine percent said they were "very interested" in royal baby news, while another 26 percent said they were "somewhat interested." On the other hand, 27 percent said they were "not very interested," and 35 percent said they were "not at all interested." Huffington Post.

Chrystia Freeland taking leap from media to politics?

OTTAWA—The race to replace Bob Rae in Toronto Centre is expected to heat up as Chrystia Freeland, a high-profile international journalist, has her eyes on the Liberal nomination, party sources say.

As well, former health minister and Toronto mayoralty candidate George Smitherman says he intends to provide “clarity” about his intentions in Toronto in the next few days.

Freeland, currently a managing director and editor with Thomson Reuters news, based in New York, is also author of the much-praised book, Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else. She’s also written for The Economist, the Washington Post and served as a senior editor at the Financial Times. The Star.

Turkey criticized as leading journalist fired

ANKARA, TURKEY — Turkey drew renewed international criticism Friday over its stance on media freedom after a prominent journalist who had criticized the government was fired this week.

The pro-government Sabah newspaper dismissed Yavuz Baydar from his position as ombudsman — or arbiter between the paper and its readers — on Tuesday after he wrote an opinion piece published in The New York Times that accused Turkish media owners of a "shameful" role in curtailing press freedom.

Baydar was the latest in a string of journalists to be fired or forced to resign for their coverage of the recent protests against the 10-year government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. What initially started as an environmental protest turned into a widespread display of anger against what critics say is Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian tenure in office.

India: Social media can’t change election outcome: Ajay Maken

AICC General Secretary Ajay Maken said that social media has not yet percolated to the common men and its power to change discourse during elections is limited.

Speaking at the Idea Exchange programme of the Indian Express, Maken however, said that social and electronic media will make mega election rallies obsolete. The Financial Express.

Uganda detains US journalist over protest coverage

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - An American journalist who was arrested while filming an opposition rally faces deportation for working in Uganda without proper documentation, a government official said Friday, but the journalist himself insisted he was targeted by police who worried he would expose their brutality against protesters.

The arrest comes as the Ugandan police are cracking down on opposition protests in Kampala, the capital.

The journalist, an independent documentary filmmaker named Taylor Krauss, is due for "an organized departure" from the East African country, said Benjamin Kagiremire, a spokesman for Uganda's Ministry of Internal Affairs. ACADIANA's Multi-Media News.

Hamas Closes News Media Outlets for Spreading False Reports

Hamas closed news media offices and a television production company on Thursday for what it called the spreading of false reports and working for Israeli television.

The offices belonged to the Al Arabiya news channel, which is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and to Maan, a Palestinian news agency based in Bethlehem, West Bank.

Hamas also shut down a local production company called Lens because it had provided broadcast services to I24 News, a new channel based in the occupied Palestinian territories that broadcasts in Arabic, English and French. Al-Manar.

In Eurasia, New Media’s Arrival Upsets Old Order

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2013 -- /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- IREX's latest Europe & Eurasia Media Sustainability Index (MSI) finds that new media sources are rapidly replacing traditional outlets as the preferred source of news. A decade after online media began sapping the advertising revenue of traditional outlets in the West, these same trends are now washing across the region to the east, undermining business models as they go. See www.irex.org/msi for the full report.

No matter why the audience migrates online or to satellite television—whether in search of content that is cheaper, fresher, more targeted, sensational, or crowd-sourced—the traditional media are left behind with a smaller audience. Sacramento Bee.

Cosatu condemns media ‘leaks’

Johannesburg - Cosatu condemned what it described as leaks from internal meetings published on Friday.

“The Congress of SA Trade Unions strongly condemns the article 'Vavi says critics are govt turncoats' in the Mail & Guardian on 26 July 2013, which is based entirely on leaks and hearsay,” spokesman Patrick Craven said.

“For that reason, in line with our policy, Cosatu will not comment on its contents, but condemns those who selectively leak information arising from internal discussions within the federation.”

The newspaper reported that general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi reiterated to his “enemies” in the trade union federation that he best represented the interests of the working class. IOL News.

Royal Baby Media Coverage: Before And After Pictures Show The Carnage

Hamas accuses Fatah of turning Egyptian media against it

Hamas officials have accused unidentified members of the Palestinian Fatah movement, the Islamist resistance group's main rival, of turning Egyptian media against it.

Attempts are being made to make Hamas appear deeply involved in violence against the Egyptian army and its people, officials claim.

Fatah had previously claimed the fact Hamas-linked television channels, including Al-Aqsa TV, were streaming from the pro-Morsy Rabea al-Adaweya sit-in in Cairo represented "interference in Egyptian affairs."

Hamas would not hurt an Egyptian soldier, said Moussa Abu Marzouq, Hamas political bureau deputy chairman.

“We have no interest in causing problems for Palestinians inside Egypt,” Abu Marzouq told London based newspaper Al-Hayat on Thursday.

HAMAS CLOSES 2 MEDIA OFFICES IN GAZA FOR CRITICISM

Hamas Attorney General Ismail Jaber told The Associated Press Thursday that he closed the Gaza Strip bureaus of satellite channel Al Arabiya and West Bank-based outlet Maan because they "spread fabricated rumors" that "harm the Palestinian national interest and resistance movements."

A Maan correspondent said Hamas was upset about its reports that Hamas militants were contributing to chaos in the Sinai Peninsula following the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak publically about the matter.

The Onion ends print edition in Madison

The final print edition of The Onion in Madison hit newsstands Thursday.

The satirical paper was founded by UW-Madison students in 1988 but is now based in Chicago. Earlier this month Capital Newspapers announced poor ad sales prompted the change.

On the back page of the final issue, an appropriately exaggerated and sarcastic column calls for Madison residents to meet in Brittingham Park and in protest "overturn ever car, smash every window, tear out the roots of every tree, shoot out every streetlight... descend upon the Capitol and pull it apart with your bare hands."

India: Congress hope social media platform Khidki will be a new window of communication for the party

The Indian Congress Party, as was announced a couple days ago, has come out with a social media platform, Khidki, to discuss and establish their viewpoint on several contemporary issues as well as to exchange ideas on government policies and economic affairs.

There was also a two-day media conclave in Delhi, with around 200 Congress spokespersons from various parts of the country, which discussed the ever changing political communication scene in terms of the Congress Party.

G Suriya, a volunteer with the Congress Party, said, “Right now this is an internal platform. It has been in use for 2 years already (internally). The purpose of this at the moment is to internally sort out and churn out views on current topics. Many of our younger organisations like the Youth Congress have already been using it. Recently, we have modernised and improved certain portions of it.” DNA.

South Africa prepares for major confab of African journalists

Speaking Truth to Power? Media, Politics and Accountability

Jul. 23 (GIN) - Under the theme, “Speaking Truth to Power? Media, Politics and Accountability”, a major media conference will bring together journalists, civil society activists and academics to discuss African media’s role in holding political authority accountable.

The conference takes place at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, where it is hosted by Rhodes' School of Journalism and Media Studies in partnership with South Africa’s Dept. of Communications and other agencies and corporations. The two day confab kicks off Sept. 1 with a combination of plenary sessions, keynote addresses, debates, training workshops, networking dinners and book launches.

Key voices in the African media Industry will speak to the theme and give insights as to how the media can effectively use its role as a discourse shaper, to speak to power in addition to speaking of it. New York Amsterdam News.

New York media calls on Anthony Weiner to pull out of mayoral race

Anthony Weiner was under intense pressure to abandon his improbable run for mayor of New York on Wednesday as his rivals, and the city’s press, turned on him after the publication of a new, explicit self-taken picture.

Three of Weiner’s fellow mayoral candidates called for him to quit after he admitted on Tuesday that he had continued to exchange sexually charged messages with young women after leaving Congress after similar allegations in 2011.

The latest revelations threatened to turn the race for senior positions in New York politics into little more than a lurid circus. A parallel bid for election to the post of city comptroller by Elliot Spitzer, brought low by his admission that he hired prostitutes when governor of New York state, has done nothing to elevate the debate. The Raw Story.

North Carolina Republican accuses ‘liberal media’ of shilling for Hagan

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North Carolina Senate candidate Thom Tillis (R) rips the "liberal media" for giving him unfair treatment in an email to supporters, accusing the press of giving more favorable coverage to Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.).

"Members of the liberal media have made it clear that they don't like our conservative agenda and they don't like the fact that I want to take that conservative philosophy to Washington, D.C. They prefer a liberal Senator like Kay Hagan rather than any conservative who wants to stop the Obama agenda," Tillis writes to supporters. "While Kay Hagan has been traveling the country raising money from the Obama political machine, the liberal media has been attacking me for trying to jump-start our campaign."

Tillis, the president pro tempore of the North Carolina state House, presided over a legislative session that pushed through some controversial laws on taxes and abortion that triggered vocal protests and drew national media attention. The Hill.

Conservative media figures are coming to the defense of Republican Congressman Steve King following widespread condemnation of his comments accusing undocumented immigrants of being drug smugglers.

During an interview with conservative outlet Newsmax, King attacked the undocumented youths known as DREAMers -- those who would have qualified under the DREAM Act proposal that repeatedly failed in Congress and who could meet the Senate immigration bill's DREAM Act provision -- saying that while he has sympathy for children who were brought into this country illegally by their parents, not all of them are valedictorians.

Republican Party leaders, including House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Sen. Raul Labrador (R-ID), have condemned King's comments as"wrong," "hateful," and "inexcusable." Boehner stated: "What he said is wrong. There can be honest disagreements about policy without using hateful language. Everyone needs to remember that."

However, right-wing media figures have rallied to King's defense. On her radio show, Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham cited cases of undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes and brought up instances of gang activity in border states to argue in support of King's comments. Media Matters.

Nuge blasts media for labeling him racist

Ted Nugent lashed out Thursday against news media portrayals of him as racist for his recent remarks about the Trayvon Martincase.

The Detroit-born rocker turned the tables, decrying the “racist slant of the media” in reporting on his comments criticizing Martin and bashing Stevie Wonder’s boycott of Florida.

“I don’t think you’ll find another person where the term ‘racist’ — that vicious, hateful term — is leveled at a guy that has probably done more to promote black artists, specifically, than pretty much anybody this side of (Atlantic Records founder) Ahmet Ertegun,” Nugent told the Free Press. The Detroit Free-Press.

How social media is redefining journalism

How will readers access this article? Through the printed page or via Facebook, Google+ and Twitter?

That was the topic of the First Thought discussion at the 35th annual Galway Arts Festival, which sought to explore the future direction of journalism in the face of a digital revolution.

The title for the talk, Life in the Old Dog Yet, came from editorial in The Irish Timesearlier this year in response to a claim from Morning Ireland that print media is a sunset industry, explained Dave O’Connell, panel chair and group editor of theConnacht Tribune. Irish Times.

Top cop attacks media coverage of mosque bombings

A police chief has launched an astonishing attack on the media by suggesting it failed to properly publicise appeals about Muslim mosque bombings out of possible religious bias.

And Dave Thompson, Deputy Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, questioned whether coverage would have been greater if a different religion had been targeted.

Blogging about the recent Black Country mosque attacks, the force’s second most senior officer wrote about the ‘low level of media coverage the events received’.

He added: “Our circulation of the picture of alleged suspects in the Mosque attacks drew very little coverage; that was frustrating at a time we needed public help.

‘‘I wonder if you picked another faith and said that there would be a series of bombings at places of worship during a major religious period and the police had a picture of the alleged attacker you might think it would get more coverage?’’ Birmingham Mail.

India’s social media politics has a long way to go

Social media has pushed the boundaries for Indian political parties in terms of its capability to send messages and reach out to supporters. ‘Communication’ for political parties is therefore no longer about maintaining the party website or handing out press releases to journalists.

In this age of Facebook and Twitter, the social media strategy for parties is as important as their on ground communication strategy. However, based on the current developments such as the #pappu Vs #Feku battle earlier this year and a handful of national leaders with around a million followers each on Twitter, experts say there is a long way to go before Indian political parties and leaders tap the real potential of social media. First Post Politics.

Egypt denies restrictions on social media

An Egyptian official on Tuesday denied any intention to restrict access to social-networking websites.

"We have not received any government decision regarding the work of social-networking websites in Egypt," Hisham al-Alayeli, acting chairman of the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, told the Anadolu Agency.

Egypt has been in turmoil since the powerful army deposed Mohammed Morsi, the country's first democratically elected president, suspended the constitution and installed the head of the constitutional court as interim president.

Both supporters and opponents of the ousted president have turned to social-media websites such as Facebook and Twitter to make their case.

But Ahmed Meslimani, media adviser to interim President Adly Mansour, warned that wrangling on the internet posed a risk to Egypt's future. World Bulletin.

Royal media machine protects newborn prince, for now

LONDON (AFP) – The British monarchy's formidable media machine has handled the birth of the royal baby smoothly but huge challenges lie ahead to protect young Prince George's privacy, commentators said Wednesday.

The frenzy that erupted when Prince William and his wife Kate gave international journalists their first glimpse of the boy on Tuesday is just a taste of the lifetime of media attention that awaits the future king.

Buckingham Palace now faces a dilemma as it balances the need for privacy with its use of a photogenic new generation of royals to secure the future of an ancient institution in the modern world. Fox News.

Defamation campaign in Egypt targets Al Jazeera Network

Al Jazeera network has accused the Egyptian authorities of enforcing strict measures on their employees in Egypt and denied siding with Islamists in its coverage of the Egyptian crisis.
Egyptian security forces broke into Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr offices in Cairo just hours after the elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was removed by the army. Egyptian military sources accused Al Jazeera of "incitement".
Many Egyptians have criticised Al Jazeera network, based in Qatar, for taking the side of the Islamists in its coverage of the Egyptian issues.
Al Jazeera asserted that the Egyptian authorities have been enforcing "strict measures in different ways on its staff in Cairo." Al Jazeera was unable to reach Egyptian officials on Tuesday to comment on the issue because it was an official holiday. Middle East Monitor.

Libertarians: US media keep politicians in power

Executive Director of Libertarian Party Carla Howell says US media keep politicians in power by manipulating voters into believing that they must vote for the "lesser of two evils."

“Dissatisfaction with big government politicians is nothing new. The only reason they're still in office today is because incumbents and the mainstream media have manipulated voters into believing that they must vote for the ‘lesser of two evils’ between a big government Democrat or a big government Republican,” she said in a phone interview with Press TV on Wednesday.

“But 99 percent of the time their voting records are virtually the same. Voting for one or the other serves only to keep us stuck with big government, high taxes, stifling regulations, millions of lost jobs, failed and dangerous prohibitions, endless meddling overseas, and gargantuan government and personal debt,” Howell added. Press TV.

Media under fire from socialist party for coverage of protest in Bulgaria

Bulgarian media have come under renewed criticism from socialist politicians for their coverage of the anti-government protest that blocked cabinet ministers, MPs and Parliament staff for hours on July 23 and the early hours of July 24.

Even as the protesters prevented the bus ferrying some of the MPs and – according to the reports, at least one minister – socialist MP Anton Kutev, who said he was on the bus, told Bulgarian National Television (BNT) that it should “cover protests objectively”.

This meant not reporting that the number of protesters was increasing, which he said was not true – even as live coverage showed people joining the crowd around the enclosures outside Parliament. The Sofia Globe.

Pro-Life Group Starts March on the Media Over Abortion Bias

Lila Rose of Live Action has had enough and her pro-life group has started a new campaign, March on the Media, to combat the epidemic of pro-abortion bias when it comes to reporting on abortion issues.

“Like it or not, the major news networks have huge influence in our country,” said Lila Rose, president of Live Action, in a statement today.

“Millions of Americans get a sense of the world through national filters like ABC, CBS, and NBC. So it’s inexcusable when these networks, in whom so much public trust is invested, refuse to report the facts on one of the most pressing human rights issues of our time,” she said. Life News.

A protest that started off from social media buzz around the ongoing constitution review in Nigeria failed to draw the mammoth tweeting crowd unto the streets to demand amendments on Tuesday.

The protest, albeit miniature, was a fall out of popular clamour for the removal of what has become a controversial clause in the 1999 constitution.

Section 29 (4b), a clause devoted to renunciation of citizenship, recognizes women less than 18-years-old to be of full age. AllAfrica.

‘History of Journalism in Odisha’ to be Released on Aug 4

Bhubaneswar: Journalist-turned media academician Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee's book 'History of Journalism in Odisha' will be released in Bhubaneswar on August 4, the day the first Odia newspaper Utkal Deepika was published in 1866.

It provides a 360 degree view of the media world. The book also contains brief history of several language journalism including Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Assamese, Punjabi and Konkani. Priced at Rs 450, it has 304 pages, crown size.

Indian media does not need external regulator, says CJI Sathasivam

Felicitating the best in Indian journalism at the Sixth Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards ceremony on Tuesday, Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam said media is the "ark of the covenant of democracy" and rejected any move to have an external regulator for it.

"The temptation to correct the media through an external regulatory authority may seem a dominant urge, but it is surely not the answer. The press is naturally and rightly touchy about it. External regulation could result in a perilous departure from the cherished principle of the freedom of the press as the sine qua non of our democracy," said Justice Sathasivam. The Indian Express.

A Media Matters study finds that Reuters' coverage of climate change declined by nearly 50 percent under the regime of the current managing editor, lending credence to a former reporter's claim that a "climate of fear" has gripped the agency.

David Fogarty, a former Reuters climate change correspondent, wrote that Managing Editor Paul Ingrassia, then serving as deputy editor-in-chief, identified himself as "a climate change sceptic" in 2012. As time went on, Fogarty alleged, "getting any climate change-themed story published got harder," as some desk editors "agonised" over decisions and allowed articles to become mired in bureaucracy. Eventually, amid a "climate of fear," Fogarty's role was "abolished."

An earlier report published by The Baron, an independent site that caters to current and former Reuters employees, similarly noted that in recent years the news service has been steered in a "new direction" in its climate change coverage, as evidenced by decreased attention, in-print "skepticism" and the reassignment of regional environment correspondents to other beats. Media Matters.

Egypt: Journalists and Media Ensnared in Political Polarization

Reporters Without Borders condemns continuing abusive treatment and acts of violence against journalists during the past week.

Mohamed Bader, a photographer, has been held since 15 July, when he was arrested in Cairo's Ramses Square while covering clashes between police and former President Mohamed Morsi's supporters in which seven people were killed and at least 260 were injured.

He was one of more than 400 people arrested in connection with the 15 July clashes. After Bader was charged on 18 July with possessing a firearm, endangering national security and insulting the police, the prosecutor-general's office ordered him held for another two weeks.

Reporters Without Borders condemns the arbitrary nature of his detention and calls for his immediate and unconditional release and the withdrawal of all the charges against him. AllAfrica.

Pakistan media watchdog bans ‘immoral’ condom commercial

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's media regulator on Tuesday barred television channels from airing a racy condom commercial featuring actress Mathira, saying such "immoral" content should not be beamed during the holy month of Ramzan.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority banned the 50-second advertisement after receiving several complaints that it was "indecent", said its spokesman Fakhar Mughal.

"Airing of such immoral advertisements on Pakistani channels and that too in Ramzan warrants serious action," he told the media.

"TV channels have decided to take off air the condom advertisement as it is highly immoral," said Mughal. The Times of India.

John Oliver Tears Apart Royal Baby Media Coverage

John Oliver opened tonight’s Daily Show covering the birth of the single greatest baby in the history of babies. Oliver took the media to task for its over-the-top, near-non-stop coverage of the royal baby, the lead-up to the royal baby’s birth, all the filler before the baby was actually born, the speculation over the baby’s name… basically, everything about that damn baby.

Oliver welcomed the news of the newborn by saying, “Finally we have a member of the royal family that actually has an excuse for being a toothless, petulant, useless human being.” He declared all the media coverage to this one child as “a royal fuck you” to every single other baby born that day. Mediaite.

‘Citizen journalism a tool to strengthen democracy’

LAHORE: A training workshop was arranged by Individual land Pakistan in partnership with Freidrich Norman Foundation (FnF) on “Citizen Journalism” and “social media” in Lahore on Tuesday.
Citizen Journalism is a growing phenomenon globally and with time, has surfaced not only as a vital source of non-selective information for citizens but as an important tool to strengthen democracy as well. The aim of the workshop was to create awareness amongst masses about the concept of “Citizen Journalism” and social media, find solutions to improve it and to make the people realize the role of it in strengthening democracy in a society.
People related to media (print and electronic both), environmentalists, students of journalism and human rights activists were among the attendants. The workshop was held in a computer lab of Punjab University. Daily Times (Pakistan).

India: Congress unveils new social media platform, Khidki, for partymen

NEW DELHI: Congress wrapped up its two-day media workshop on Tuesday with training modules for all its spokespersons, teaching them how to make a clear point on all national issues in 30 seconds on television or in 140 characters on social networking site Twitter.

The second day of the workshop had training modules by I&B minister Manish Tewari,spokespersonSandeep Dikshit and MPDeepender Hooda. Tewari taught the spokespersons dos and don'ts of holding a press meet and how to make a crisp point within 30 seconds. He made a pitch for taking forward the secular agenda, asking spokespersons to talk strongly on issues related to communalism. The Economic Times.

Scope for misuse of social media due to anonymity: Sibal

New Delhi: The social media is still evolving and it empowers many with information but there is also scope of its misuse because of the anonymity it provides, Union Minister for Communications and IT Kapil Sibal said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a discussion organised at the presentation ceremony of the Ramnath Goenka Awards for excellence in journalism, Sibal said the social media is evolving but it does not have any hierarchies and also identities.

It's a platform which is enormously empowering because it's a source of information for millions of people and that is why it has an important role to play, Sibal said. ZeeNews India.

A Growing Share of Latinos Get Their News in English

The language of news media consumption is changing for Hispanics: a growing share of Latino adults are consuming news in English from television, print, radio and internet outlets, and a declining share are doing so in Spanish, according to survey findings from the Pew Research Center.

In 2012, 82% of Hispanic adults said they got at least some of their news in English,1 up from 78% who said the same in 2006. By contrast, the share who get at least some of their news in Spanish has declined, to 68% in 2012 from 78% in 2006.2

Half (50%) of Latino adults say they get their news in both languages, down from 57% in 2010. Pew Research.

A group of animal rights advocates and journalists have filed the first-ever lawsuit against so-called ag-gag laws aimed at suppressing revelations of animal abuse at farms and slaughterhouses. The plaintiffs are challenging Utah’s 2012 law which imposes a penalty of up to one year in jail for recording images or sounds of agricultural operations without permission. While a number of states have passed ag-gag laws, Utah was the first to attempt a prosecution by charging a woman who filmed a slaughterhouse from a public street. The case was later dropped. One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, independent journalist Will Potter, wrote: "Utah’s law, and others like it, directly place both me and my sources at risk. There’s a long history of investigative journalism in this country based on exactly the type of research and whistleblowing that these laws criminalize."

Turkish journalists fired over coverage of Gezi Park protests

At least 22 journalists have been fired and 37 forced to quit over their coverage of the Gezi Park protests, the Turkish Journalists Union (TGS) has claimed.

The Turkish newspaper Today’s Zaman quoted Gökhan Durmu of the TGS saying that the job losses came as a result of media coverage of the protests. They started in late May with a small group of environmentalists staging a protest against a commercial development in Istanbul, and grew into nationwide demonstrations in which thousands expressed anti-government sentiments. The protests in Istanbul were met with tear gas and water cannons. The Independent.

Chinese state media frowns on ‘Indian media hype’

A commentary issued by China’s official Xinhua news agency on Tuesday hit out at the Indian media for “hyping” the situation along the disputed border, following reports in recent days of new incursions by Chinese troops.

The commentary said “sensational reports” were “harmful to the China-India relationship”, and it accused media reports of “sour[ing] to some extent the atmosphere” of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang May 2013 visit to India.

Media reports, Xinhua added, “have only served to further sow misunderstandings between Indians and Chinese even at a time when their leaders are working hard to manage their differences and to build a constructive relationship that can benefit both sides”.

The commentary did not, however, provide any information or details to counter any of the recent reports of incursions by Chinese troops.

On Monday, media reports said around 50 Chinese soldiers riding on horses had intruded into the Chumar area on July 16. In April, relations were strained following a three-week stand-off in Depsang, also in the western section of the disputed border, after Chinese troops put up a tent. The Hindu.

The amassing of over 160,000 Russian troops, bombers, and naval ships under an emergency ‘combat readiness’ drill order is now making the rounds throughout mainstream media and talk radio after being blasted into the headlines.

Amazingly, just a bit over on week ago I covered the Russian ‘combat readiness’ order while in amazement that no one was discussing it despite admissions that it really was going on. It was breaking news for sure, especially when we get into what happened before this abrupt call to ‘combat readiness’ for the Russian military system (which I will detail shortly). Ultimately, and this is really quite disturbing, it was up to independent alternative news sites like Storyleak (with the help of Infowars and others syndicating the news to millions worldwide) to blast it into the mainstream media.

Press forum condemns shut down of West Papua magazine

The Pacific Freedom Forum says police actions to stop distribution of a new magazine in West Papua break press laws of Indonesia and must be condemned.
The forum has joined the Indonesian Press Council in criticising police for their actions against the magazine, Papua Pelita.
The magazine dedicated its first issue to reporting on the Organisation of Papua Freedom, with a cover featuring the West Papua pro-independence flag - which is banned by authorities in West Papua.
Magazine publishers had already distributed 2,000 copies of the inaugural edition when police arrived and instructed them not to distribute any further copies. Radio New Zealand International.

Papua Police Ban on New Mag Illegal – PFF

Rarotonga, Cook Islands - Police actions to stop distribution of a new magazine in West Papua break press laws of Indonesia and must be condemned, says the Pacific Freedom Forum.
“Press freedom is not a vague constitutional promise in Indonesia,” says Titi Gabi, Chair of the Pacific Freedom Forum.

“There are specific laws that back press freedom and expressly prohibit police from banning media organisations.”

Pacific Freedom Forum joins the Indonesian Press Council in criticising police for their actions against the magazine, Papua Pelita. Solomon Times Online.

Iran slams Egypt raid on TV channel Al Alam

Tehran: Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hussaini has termed as “unacceptable” a raid by Egyptian security forces at the office of Iranian satellite TV channel Al Alam in Cairo, a media report said.
Egyptian security forces Saturday raided the office of the Arabic language TV channel, detained its director and confiscated the equipment in the office, according to Press TV.
The Egyptians said the Iranian TV channel did not have permission for activity. GulfNews.com.

Fox Hypes Baseless Attack On Food Stamps

Fox News continued its smear campaign against the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as food stamps, by hyping an evidence-free claim that recipients are using the program to send food overseas.

A July 21 New York Poststory claimed that low-income New Yorkers were using SNAP funds to purchase food to send overseas. The Post based its claims on anecdotes from unnamed sources at two New York supermarkets that "confirmed the practice," but failed to include specifics. The anonymous woman that thePost provided as its sole example of the practice was not a SNAP beneficiary:

Last week, a woman stuffed dozens of boxes of macaroni and evaporated milk into a barrel headed for her family in Kingston, Jamaica. She said she didn't have welfare benefits and bought the food herself.

"This is all worth more than $2,000," she said. "I've been shopping since last December. You can help somebody else, someone who doesn't live in this country."

A man helping her pack the barrel said: "We're poor here, and they're poor. But what we can get here is like luxury to them."

Fox News and other right-wingmedia outlets ignored the Post's lack of evidence to hype the story as an example of failed government oversight. Media Matters.

The Nigerian Young Journalists Forum, NYJF, has approached the National Assembly under the Freedom of Information Act, FOI, to declare the salaries and allowances of federal lawmakers.

The journalists stated this in a request letter dated July 17 and addressed to the Senate President, David Mark, and Speaker Federal House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal. They also demanded the total amounts expended by both chambers from June 2011 to June 2013.

The letter, signed by the Forum's National President, Ayodele Samuel, and General Secretary, Zacheaus Somorin, also requested the statutory budgetary allocations and expenses of Nigeria's legislative arm of government.

Also requested by the Journalists Forum is the proof of compliance by members of National Assembly with statutory law on asset declaration by public officers.

The forum said the information is requested for proper media reportage on salaries and constituency votes of members of the National Assembly which have been subjects of public debates and misrepresentations in recent times. AllAfrica.com.

Indian media grilled for ignoring Gool killings

Srinagar, July 23 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq describing the assurances by the authorities of probe into the recent Gool killings as misleading has said that such statements are tantamount to rubbing salt on the wounds of Kashmiris.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was talking to a delegation of Akali Dal led by its President Simranjeet Singh Maan in Srinagar, today. He said that the role of Indian media regarding the bloodbath in Gool was highly unfortunate. He deplored that the way the Indian media brazenly ignored the incident clearly showed its biased approach towards the Kashmiris. Kashmir Media Service.

Pence social media policy discourages debate

INDIANAPOLIS | Gov. Mike Pence has adopted a social media policy for his official Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts, following a June incident where his staff was caught scrubbing comments from Hoosiers that disagreed with the Republican governor's opposition to gay marriage.

The new policy discourages discussions of controversial state issues and warns that comments will be deleted if the governor's staff deems them inaccurate, profane or defamatory.

"The focus of the social networking opportunities is to share information about the governor of Indiana's programs and activities," according to the policy. "Larger discussions of political views and philosophies may be addressed elsewhere." NWI Politics.

Egypt – Journalists and media ensnared in political polarization

Reporters Without Borders condemns continuing abusive treatment and acts of violence against journalists during the past week.

Mohamed Bader, a photographer, has been held since 15 July, when he was arrested in Cairo’s Ramses Square while covering clashes between police and former President Mohamed Morsi’s supporters in which seven people were killed and at least 260 were injured. He was one of more than 400 people arrested in connection with the 15 July clashes. After Bader was charged on 18 July with possessing a firearm, endangering national security and insulting the police, the prosecutor-general’s office ordered him held for another two weeks.

Reporters Without Borders condemns the arbitrary nature of his detention and calls for his immediate and unconditional release and the withdrawal of all the charges against him.

There was more violence against journalists at pro-Morsi demonstrations during the past weekend. Tolerance.

There Is a 99.45% Chance That Nate Silver Is Changing Journalism

Today, Nate Silver and ESPN made official that the baseball-stats analyst turned election data-cruncher, whose aggregation of polls predicted the last two presidential elections more accurately than politicians and pundits alike, will leave the New York Times and join the sports network and its sister outlet, ABC News. As part of the deal, Silver will have a TV role on ESPN (including, reportedly, on Keith Olbermann’s new show) and on ABC, will get to return to his first love of sports while expanding into many fields beyond politics, and get to build a mini-empire in the form of an ESPN sub site modeled on Bill Simmons’ Grantland.

UN voices fears over Somalia media law

The United Nations has raised concerns about a new media law in Somalia only days after UN experts sounded the alarm over corruption in the African country's new government.

The UN Human Rights Office has urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's government to review a new law that would require journalists to reveal sources and prevent them spreading information against Islam or Somali traditions, said a statement released on Sunday.

Rupert Colville, spokesman for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the legislation was "vague" and "could easily be used to curtail freedom of expression." AlJazeera.

Taiwan army prosecutor decries ‘sensational’ media coverage

Taipei, July 22 (CNA) Taiwan's chief military prosecutor on Monday deplored media reports which he said are far from the truth and asked the media to "give investigators room" to get to the bottom of all the facts about the death of an Army corporal.

Maj. Gen. Tsao Chin-sheng's appeal came amid continued media attention to the case of Corporal Hung Chung-chiu, who died on July 4 after being wrongfully thrown into the brig just days before his discharge.

Tsao denied the suggestion that Hung was the victim of a brutal act by a collaborating group, saying that only one person has been listed as a suspect of mistreatment. Focus Taiwan.

Poll: Rolling Stone Cover ‘Inappropriate’

Most Americans think Rolling Stone's "The Bomber" cover featuring accused Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is inappropriate, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll.

By a 65 percent to 15 percent margin, respondents to the poll, who were shown the cover image before answering questions about it, said that the cover was inappropriate. And 51 percent said that the cover glorifies Tsarnaev's actions, while another 26 percent said it did not, and 23 percent said they weren't sure.

Several retail chains have announced they won't sell Rolling Stone's issue on their newsstands, and both Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (D) and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) have criticized the cover. One Boston resident has launched a campaign to publicly burn copies of the magazine. Huffington Post.

Journalists union says Egypt media inciting against Palestinians

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate on Monday warned of an ongoing "crackdown" against Palestinians by some Egyptian media outlets.

The syndicate said some Egyptian journalists were inciting against the Palestinians as a people, and not just those who live in Egypt.

"This is a very dangerous and slanderous trend unfit for the Egyptian media which has always played epic roles in cooperation and brotherhood," the PJS said in a statement. Ma'an News Agency.

Government officials in Cameroon have issued a statement criticizing journalists over their coverage of the murder and brutal torture of prominent gay rights activist Eric Ohena Lembembe last week.

Government spokesman Issa Tchiroma said in a statement that journalists had engaged in "speculation and witch-hunting" in their coverage of the case, which has drawn expressions of concern from the U.S., France, Britain and the U.N.

"Backed by certain civil society activists and at times by some of our compatriots, the international media have launched attacks on our nation, dragging its image into the mud," Tchiroma said. He called for "a maximum of restraint" from civil society and the media while law enforcement authorities conduct an investigation. Towleroad.

DOJ’s News Media Policies Reserved the Authority to Force James Risen to Testify

James Risen’s lawyer, Joel Kurtzberg, argues that the News Media Policies released by DOJ last week mean his client should not have to testify in the Jeffrey Sterling case. (As I understand it, Michael Isikoff made a similar argument while moderating a panel including Eastern District of VA US Attorney Neil MacBride today too, though MacBride reportedly dodged any answer.) In a letter to the Fourth Circuit (which has been sitting on this decision for well over a year), he cites two paragraphs from the Policies — one affirming DOJ’s promise to access “member of the news media” materials only as a last resort, and another one calling for the “appropriate balance” between two competing interests of “protecting the American people” and “free press.” Empty Wheel.

India: Media overreacts to Rajnath’s ‘Modi’ comments

The buzz surrounding the BJP and Narendra Modi is getting louder and louder, with speculation rising that the Gujarat Chief Minister will be declared Prime Ministerial candidate sooner rather than later. However, it seems to be the media that is seeing the Prime Ministerial nomination at every corner.

There was no direct endorsement of Modi as PM candidate though, and these same comments have been construed by other media outlets to mean that the party is not yet ready to name him as its aspirant to the top post.

Which brings us to the question: is the media more keen than the BJP to see Modi named as PM candidate? FirstPost Politics.

Codes won’t improve journalism

The draft of a code of media ethics drawn by the Ministry of Mass Media and Information, Sri Lanka, early June 2013 has generated a lot of heat in the so-called international community, which in this case mainly refers to the West-centric NGOs like Freedom House, Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Sans Frontières, and International Press Institute.

These NGOs, in general, adhere to the philosophy that any kind of government intrusion into the individual’s right to communicate (particularly the rights guaranteed in the U.S. First Amendment) is bad for democracy defined by Abraham Lincoln as government “of the people, by the people, for the people.”

This hullabaloo is a good example of the ongoing clash between the forces of globalization (a euphemism for Westernization) and of cultural preservation. The events unfolding in the Islamic world (e.g., Iran, Iraq, Syria and Egypt) are also facets of the same clash. As Americans, we should be able to place events within this context. Sri Lanka Guardian.

Media must shun divisive elements: Justice Markandey Katju

VARANASI: Press Council of India's chairman Justice MarkandeyKatju on Sunday advised the media to discourage persons and forces raking up issues like 'Hindu Rashtravad' and asked journalists to expose elements trying to divide the society by raising such issues. "Such an act is anti-national in a country with secular structure." However, Justice Katju made it clear that it was his personal view and he was not associated with any political outfit. The Times of India.

Twitter reacts to the death of pioneer journalist Helen Thomas

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The world of Twitter mourned on Saturday following the news that Helen Thomas, a well-respected journalist who reported on every U.S. president from John Kennedy to Barack Obama, died at the age of 92.
“Helen Thomas was a true pioneer, opening doors and breaking down barriers for generations of women in journalism,” tweeted Obama.
George Stephanopoulos, American journalist and former political advisor said: “Rest in peace Helen Thomas. We sparred. We laughed. I so admired her tenacity.”
Thomas – the daughter of Lebanese immigrants – had a strong interest in the Middle East and was a fierce defender of Palestinian rights. She was known to be blunt and fearless in her style of reporting and questioning. Al Arabiya.

Morsi loyalists besiege Media City

Supporters of former president Mohamed Morsi rallied at the Media Production City (MPC), Friday night to condemn “the misleading media.”
Protesters gathered in front of gates two and four of the media complex to object to the shutting down of religious channels and to what they called a “biased media”. They marched from Al-Nahda Square in Giza to the MPC, which is located in 6th of October City. Daily News Egypt.

Egyptian security forces detain director of Iranian TV channel

Egyptian security forces raided the office of an Iranian TV channel in Cairo and detained its director, Ahmed al-Sioufi, the media outlet reported on Saturday.
“The security forces also seized equipment and devices from the channel without giving any explanation for these actions,” the Arab language satellite channel, Al Alam, said on its website.
Reuters reported that a security source confirmed the news and said the TV station did not have a license. Al Arabiya.

India: Journalists’ forum appeals for safety of scribes in northeast

Guwahati, July 20 (IANS) The Journalists' Forum Assam (JFA) has lauded the Indian envoy at the United Nations for his concern and his appeal to the international community for the security of scribes working in conflict zones across the globe.
JFA, the northeast India-based media persons' organisation, however, claimed that India in general and trouble-torn Assam in particular were recognised as being among the most dangerous places for working journalists.
The JFA reaction came Saturday after India's permanent representative at the UN Asoke Kumar Mukerji Wednesday argued that journalists, who play a crucial role in ensuring citizens' rights to constitutionally guaranteed liberty, freedom of speech and expression, should also get the protection of governments. News Track India.

Somalia: Mogadishu Media Community Rejects the Proposed Law On Media

The media community in Mogadishu concluded, at a debate held on July 18, 2013, organized by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), that the contents and the manner of preparation of the draft Law on Media proposed by the Government were utterly unacceptable.
More than 30 media representatives coming from radio stations, television network operators, newspaper and international news organisations expressed their objections to the proposed draft law and raised the question whether there is a need for such a repressive law on media in Somalia.
As noted in the discussions, the draft Law goes well beyond the area of broadcasting media, the only media sector traditionally licenced by a legal system, and pushes the media and the journalists further into self-censorship. National Media Council is not independent and journalists will have to disclose their confidential sources and while representatives and journalists working for foreign media are discriminated. AllAfrica.

Fox Starts Campaigning For Former Employee Liz Cheney’s Senate Run

Now that former Fox News contributor Liz Cheney has officially declared that she will be challenging Republican Sen. Mike Enzi for his Wyoming Senate seat, the network that employed her is throwing its weight behind her run.
Cheney's interest in Enzi's seat seemed poised to set up a possible conflict with her former Bush administration and Fox colleague Karl Rove. Rove's new political group, Conservative Victory Project, is designed in part to "protect Senate incumbents from challenges by far-right conservatives and Tea Party enthusiasts," a definition that seemed to fit the Wyoming race.
Nonetheless, shortly after Cheney's announcement, Crossroads explained that they were going to sit out the race, labeling Enzi and Cheney "top notch candidates who would slam dunk a general election."
With that possible hurdle out of the way, Cheney's run is getting early support from several of her former Fox colleagues. Media Matters.

Peter King Story Sparks Media Commotion

A storm of media interest erupted after Newsmax broke the story on Wednesday that Rep. Peter King was seriously considering a White House run in 2016.
The Newsmax article by John Gizzi disclosed that New York Republican King, past chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, is being encouraged by friends in and outside New York to seek the GOP nomination for president.
"A lot of folks are telling him to do it and he sure acts interested," a source disclosed.
In an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Friday morning, King credited Newsmax with sparking talk about a White House run. Newsmax.

The Conservative Protest On Capitol Hill The Media Isn’t Taking About

(The Blaze) – Hundreds of people from across the country, thousands by some estimates, descended on Capitol Hill Monday for the “March For Jobs,” an event organized by the Black American Leadership Alliance (BALA) to oppose amnesty and the Senate “Gang of Eight” immigration bill.
While you have surely heard about the pro-Trayvon Martin protests occurring across the country, the “March For Jobs” demonstration was barely covered at all, other than in conservative media.
Activists gathered early in the morning at Freedom Plaza and then marched to Capitol Hill to rally against the current immigration reform efforts. The Conservative Eagle.

Royal-baby media mania focuses on different hospital

Suddenly, the royal-baby media focus is pivoting to a different hospital outside London, near Duchess Kate’s parents’ estate in rural Berkshire, where she has been staying since last weekend.
There’s still a media mob outside St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, but some journalists and photographers are turning up today outside the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, very close to the Middleton manse in Bucklebury.
NBC’s Today show sent a reporter there to stand outside the hospital today and gab, but with little to report. Ditto for ABC. Tulsa World.

Responding to a question related to the railway bribery case involving former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew, Congress leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said today that media should refrain from pronouncing people guilty even before a trial has commenced in a court of law.
"I fail to understand, are we going to follow concurrent tracks of justice in this country. That a track which is judicially driven and another track which is media driven.
"The CBI has filed its charge sheet based on whatever investigation it has conducted, if there is anybody who has a difficulty with that charge sheet, he can go and assail it in a court of law," Tewari said. The Indian Express.

Global Mandela TV coverage dwindles: researcher

Very few international TV broadcasters have remained interested in reporting on former president Nelson Mandela, according to a media research company.
Only South Africa had provided enough coverage of his health and legacy, which was keeping him topical, Media Tenor SA found.
"We expected local media to keep focusing on the former statesman going into July given that this has always been a topical month for him," senior researcher Stephano Radaelli said in a statement on Friday.
"In addition, our research suggests that South Africans would feel that the news in the past two months has only been focusing on Nelson Mandela and his family."
In 2009, July 18, Mandela's birthday, was declared as Mandela Day in South Africa to honour the former statesman. The United Nations has declared July 18 as International Nelson Mandela Day. The New Age.

“There is a lack of experts who know the region”

Last week a group of journalists from the South Caucasus republics visited Moscow. They met their colleagues from Vestnik Kavkaza, and its editor-in-chief spoke to each of the guests. Today we present an interview with journalist Vugar Hasanov from the online mass media “Vesti.az.” Hasanov says: "Unfortunately, our mass media leaves a lot to be desired. There is a certain lack of Azerbaijani experts who know the region and its problems. In most cases we address to Russian experts. We also address to experts from the USA, but rarely. I think we should develop joint educational projects, for instance Russian-Azerbaijani projects. It would be nice to found new departments in universities, which would prepare experts in this sphere, who could comment on the situation in the region. Readers are bored with reading the same Russian authors all the time. We can feel it." Vestnik Kavkaza.

Cameroon blasts reporting of gay activist’s death

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON — Cameroon lashed out at the media on Friday for its reporting on the recent killing of a prominent gay activist and warned that future "provocative commentary" on the case would be illegal.
In the first official response to the killing of Eric Ohena Lembembe, government spokesman Issa Tchiroma said in a statement that journalists had engaged in "speculation and witch-hunting" in their coverage of the case, which has drawn expressions of concern from the U.S., France, Britain and the U.N.
Friends discovered Lembembe's body at his home in Yaounde on Monday evening after he was unreachable for two days, according to Human Rights Watch. The front door was locked from the outside, though they could see Lembembe's battered body through a window. One friend said Lembembe's neck and feet looked broken and that he had been burned with an iron. The Modesto Bee.

ABC Victoria's senior news editor has strongly defended an ABC journalist accused of inappropriate conduct by Premier Denis Napthine.
The Premier is accused of attempting to intimidate the journalist and censor footage of a press conference held in Warrnambool on Thursday, where he faced questions about the alleged travel rorts of former Liberal MP Geoff Shaw. His media advisor is accused of then threatening to cut the ABC out of any future invites for his media appearances.
ABC Victorian news editor Shane Castleman has strongly defended Warrnambool-based journalist Laura Beavis' conduct, saying he is comfortable with how the ABC dealt with the situation. ABC Melbourne.

UN: over 90% of journalist killings worldwide left unpunished

More than 90 percent of journalist killings worldwide remain unpunished, the UN News Centre said, according to RIA Novosti.
UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson described the trend as “shocking and unacceptable” during a special meeting on the protection of journalists in armed conflicts.
“The least we can do when a journalist is murdered, is to ensure that the death is investigated swiftly and justice is served,” the UN News Service quoted the official as saying.
He said that about 600 journalists have been killed worldwide in the past ten years. Although 41 journalists were killed last year in war-torn Syria alone, the majority of journalists and media staff are killed while reporting on corruption and other illegal activities.
Every time a journalist is killed or intimidated into silence, “there is one less voice to speak on behalf of the victims of conflict, crime and human rights abuses…one less observer of efforts to uphold rights and ensure human dignity,” Eliasson said. PanARMENIAN.Net.

U.S. Decries Violence Against Journalists

During a July 17 debate at the U.N. Security Council, the United States condemned violence against journalists and called for their protection, especially as they report on armed conflicts.
“Impunity for violence against journalists must end,” said Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo, acting permanent representative to the United Nations and chargé d’affaires for the U.S. Mission to the U.N..
“The United States endorses fully the 2012 U.N. Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity,” she said. “We encourage member states to enact its provisions and put in place voluntary protection programs for journalists operating in conflict areas.” Philadelphia News.

Israeli UN envoy: Middle East most dangerous place for journalists

NEW YORK (EJP) --- Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor condemned the fading “facade of the Arab Spring” Wednesday, as he insisted the popular uprisings that swept the Arab world in 2011 had left in the place “the repression, chaos and confusion that have long defined the region”. Citing widespread media censorship, intimidation and abduction that have resulted in the deaths of 26 journalists and imprisonment of 175 more, the envoy told a UN Security Council open debate on the protection of journalists in armed conflict that “nowhere is it more dangerous to be a journalist than in the Middle East”.
Last year, 121 journalists were murdered according to official figures and more than 20 imprisoned. More than 600 journalists have been killed in the line of work in the past decade alone, with 41 being killed in Syria last year and 108 in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2006. European Jewish Press.

California may regulate political ads posing as independent blogs and tweets

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As voters get more information about candidates and campaigns from the Internet, California's political watchdog agency is increasingly suspicious that some of what they are reading may be paid political speech masquerading as independent reporting or opinion.
The state's Fair Political Practices Commission is proposing a regulation that would require candidates and campaigns to publicly report payments to people who write blogs, send messages on Twitter, post on Facebook, create videos and post other online communication. The commission is set to decide whether to adopt the new rules at its meeting next month in Sacramento.
Ann Ravel, chairwoman of the commission, said she had "no idea" how extensive the practice may be but added that a strong initial outcry from bloggers and others leads her to think "it's maybe more than we might believe." The Republic.

Mexican crime reporter shot to death in Oaxaca

Mexico City, July 18, 2013--Mexican authorities should conduct an open and thorough investigation into the murder of a crime reporter whose body was found on Wednesday in Oaxaca City, the capital of Oaxaca state, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Alberto López Bello had been badly beaten and shot, government officials told CPJ.
"Crime reporters in Mexico work at enormous risk, constantly facing threats, intimidation, and attacks that are virtually never punished," Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas, said from New York. "The cycle of impunity in anti-press crimes has had a devastating effect on the public's right to information, especially on matters of crime and corruption. The government can begin to break this terrible cycle by fully investigating this crime."
A spokesman for the state Attorney General who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity said López had been beaten and shot and that his body was found with that of another man, Arturo Alejandro Franco, who has been identified in news reports as an undercover police informant. Oaxaca City officials said Franco was a city employee. Police said he had been beaten and shot as well. Committee to Protect Journalists.

Journalists In China Get Roughed Up After Investigating Claims Against Tech Company

A group of journalists in southern China were looking into a suspicious Haikou, Hainan-based company when their investigation turned dangerous. Journalists with the newspaper Nanguo Metropolis Daily and Hainan Live TV were roughed up after attempting to record an interview at the company’s office.
The Nanguo Metropolis Daily ran a front page story titled “Journalists mobbed during interview,” featuring a photo of a dramatic scene, with several journalists being beaten up and sustaining injuries to the face and hands. Luckily for Nanguo, they came out of the altercation relatively unscathed, but their colleague from Hainan Live TV had more serious injuries. International Business Times.

Operation Elveden: six journalists in court over payments

Six newspaper staff including four Sun journalists staff have appeared in court accused of paying public officials for information including details about Broadmoor patients, police investigations and a member of the royal family.
Three others including three public officials and one of their former partners also appeared at Westminster magistrates' court to face charges arising from Scotland Yard's Operation Elveden on Thursday.
At least 40 people, including fellow Sun staff, their family and friends, sat in the public gallery to show their solidarity, among them the paper's deputy editor Geoff Webster, who on Thursday pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit misconduct in public office. The Guardian.

Rupert Murdoch admits error in criticism of police investigations

Rupert Murdoch has admitted he was wrong to describe phone-hacking and corrupt-payments investigations by police into his company and its journalists as "incompetent", in a letter sent to the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee.
But writing to Keith Vaz, he has also questioned the proportionality of the investigations, which will have cost £40m by 2015 and have involved dawn raids involving up to 14 officers, and the arrest of scores of his journalists.
The letter marks the first time that the media chief has spoken about what he has termed a "highly emotional" meeting that occurred in March with journalists at the Sun who had been arrested and who face trial for allegedly paying public officials for information. The meeting was secretly recorded and subsequently leaked. The Guardian.

Media should show empathy in reporting children’s issues: NGO

New Delhi : Urging the media to be more responsible in reporting on children's issues, an NGO said here Friday that most of the coverage by news channels and newspapers showed a lack of empathy.
At a one-day workshop organised by NGO Butterflies, discussions were held on the impact of media reports on children.
Citing examples, Rita Panicker, director, Butterflies, said: "In the recent media coverage of the Uttarakhand flash floods, one story which was highlighted was a news video where a child was seen in desperation, crying as her parents were in hospital. The news anchor attempted to emulate the child asking for her mother, and saying that she repeated: "Mother, where are you? Look at me, I am not able to walk."
Panicker said the attempt was only to highlight the tragedy, and showed little empathy for the feelings of the girl. TwoCircles.net.

Today on Your Call: What is the state of Native American Media?

On today's Your Call we’ll speak with Native journalists about the role Native Americans are playing in today’s media landscape. Why do we so rarely see stories about natives by natives? According to Loris Taylor, president of Native Public Media, “Native Americans face a huge digital divide.”* But radio is one medium that remains vibrant for native communities. What is the power of media for keeping culture alive? Join us at 10 or email feedback@yourcallradio.org. Where have you seen good reporting by or about Native Americans? It’s Your Call with Rose Aguilar and You. KALW-Public Radio.

Journalists Facing Increasing Threats in Zambia

LUSAKA — Practicing journalism has become one of the more dangerous things to do in Africa’s largest copper producer, Zambia. The country -- once seen as a model of democracy in southern Africa -- has seen a sharp rise in threats and physical attacks on journalists.
The Patriotic Front was ushered into office in the September 2011 elections on the platforms of enhanced freedom and democracy.
Ask any journalist in Zambia and they will tell you that promise has not been kept and in fact, the opposite is occurring. Voice of America.

Keith Olbermann Returning To ESPN, But Barred From Talking Politics

After a 16-year absence, Keith Olbermann is returning to ESPN, the New York Times reported Tuesday night.
Rumors had been swirling for weeks that the former Current TV anchor was "in serious discussions" with ESPN, but apparently the deal will officially be announced on Wednesday.
According the Times, Olbermann, 54, will host a late night talk show from New York that will air on ESPN 2. Although Olbermann may discuss other topics besides sports, his new contract reportedly forbids him from talking about politics on the program. Huffington Post.

Political pickets take to the Web

JOHANNESBURG -- Citizens are taking to online platforms to participate in politics and the political process more than ever before, say analysts.
Fuseware MD Mike Wronski says social media functions as a societal equaliser, where anybody with Internet access can make their voice heard. “The low barrier to entry, veil of anonymity and ease of building a large following are some primary reasons for [the increase in online activism],” says Wronski.
Political analyst Fabian Scherer adds to this by saying online protest and activism are simply a manifestation of offline protest. “When people are unable to use the conventional offline forms of activism, which include voting, boycotts and non-violent protest marches, because of prevailing political conditions, they simply take to online activism through online petitions and online campaign donations.” ITWeb.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met Subhash Chandra, Chairman ZEE & Essel Group, at the Prime Minister's House yesterday morning where the two discussed the importance of media in bringing the people of the two nations together.
He urged for facilitation and relaxation of laws so that Pakistani channels could be effortlessly seen in India.
The Premier also expressed hope that media of both the countries would play its role more sensibly to bring people of the two countries closer so that the focus is shifted towards peace, economic prosperity and well being. Business Standard.

Al-Jazeera Under Fire For Its Coverage Of Egypt

The past two weeks in Egypt have been a real test for the TV network Al-Jazeera. Accusations that the network is biased toward the Muslim Brotherhood and ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi have resulted in arrests, threats and resignations.
On the last day of June and the first days of July, as millions of Egyptians took to the streets to call for Morsi's downfall, Al-Jazeera was there.
The network's Live Egypt channel went to a split screen. The pro-Morsi areas of Cairo were almost always shown as full. The anti-Morsi areas were shown as empty.
It was later revealed that the anti-Morsi areas were usually packed — Al-Jazeera just showed them at the times of day that they were empty. Wyoming Public Media.

Digital media picks up pace in India

Welcome to Internet 4.0. As more than 227 million Indians tune in to listen to music, watch a film, a TV show or a cricket match on their mobiles, computers, tablets or other devices, the Internet is finally delivering some serious revenues. In 2012, of the Rs 27,000 crore that digital media made, more than 80 per cent came from entertainment products online. This is up from Rs 10,000 crore just three years ago. The bulk of the pay revenue (Rs 25,000 crore) goes to telecom companies. What's causing much of the excitement, though, is the double-digit growth in advertising spends (over Rs 2,100 crore). As user numbers grow, advertisers are paying better rates to reach the online audience for, say, IPL or a TV show. "Advertisers are spending an average of 7 to 8 per cent (of their budgets) on digital. This is up from 2 to 3 per cent four years ago," says Ratish Nair, co-founder of Ad Magnet, an ad network. Even pay revenues are showing some traction as viable subscription services such as Saavn and Gaana.com take off. Business Standard.

This Mashup of Royal Media Coverage Is Terrifying

The Royal Baby is King or Queen of a lot of things: obviously, the future King or Queen of England, but also Ruler of the Womb and, it probably goes without saying, #1 Top Regent of the Unsolicited Uterus Update.
And what a long, strange trip it's been: the world has stared at, scrutinized, and speculated about Kate Middleton's pregnancy for what feels like a millennium now. ABC's Jon Williams has called it "the most anticipated birth since the dawn of Twitter." Rabidly agreeing with this claim, the media has obsessively compared Kate's pregnancy to other famous pregnancies, lauded her maternity fashion choices, camped outside of her hotel room for days on end, and uttered the phrase "baby bump" a truly unsettling amount of times. And now, as humanity mills about, grumbling "where is Royal Baby" to itself, let's take a moment to reflect.
Watch this visual aid, via the Huffington Post, and marvel at our endless capacity for pregnancy voyeurism. If you're in a place where you can't listen to the audio, just imagine a lot of people in blazers repeatedly yelling, "ROYAL BABY! PREGNANT! MORNING SICKNESS! Hy-hypereme..sis... gravidarum? EXPECTING! BUMP! ALL EYES ON KATE!" and that should suffice. Jezebel.

Q&A with British journalist Daniel Schweimler believes that journalism is not dead

Daniel Schweimler is a British journalist who has lived in Argentina since 2006. He began his career in England in local print media but quickly found himself drawn to life beyond Albion. After travelling and working in Latin America, he returned to England in 1989 and began working for the BBC World Service and as a foreign corre- spondent in Mexico (1993-1994), Spain (1998-2000) and Cuba (2001-2002). He moved to Argentina permanently in early 2006, as the BBC’s South America corre- spondent. In February 2012, he began re- porting for China Central TV (CCTV), cover- ing Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile and Bolivia. Daniel lives in Colegiales with his Argentine wife, Claudia, and their two chil- dren: Benjamin (15) and Lucas (13). Read the full interview in the Buenos Aires Herald.

Panel examines media’s role in Trayvon Martin case

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Civic leaders say media made mistakes from start to finish in covering the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, though they acknowledge the case wouldn't have become as large as it did without the media. A panel discussion organized for the Florida Press Association/Florida Society of News Editors annual convention examined media coverage of the case on Thursday. The discussion was planned before neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder charges Saturday for shooting 17-year-old Martin. Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte said early photos showing a younger Martin and an old mug shot of Zimmerman inaccurately depicted each and helped fuel public outrage over the case. Central Florida Urban League President Allie Braswell said the media also predicted violent protests that never came when the jury reached its verdict. WEAR-TV.

Ecobank Response to Recent Media Coverage

In its twenty-five years of existence, Ecobank has made huge strides towards its ambition to be the number one pan-African bank. In doing so, it has a clear vision to bring economic benefit and cohesion to Africa and its people. To date, it has been highly successful in achieving its aims, with record financial results revealed in the first quarter of 2013.
Today's Financial Times (17 July 2013) carries an article which makes allegations about the financial probity of ETI's Chairman and the way in which his affairs have been handled by ETI management and Board. Ecobank prides itself on dealing with such matters openly and effectively and, in line with good governance practices, the issues raised by the FT have previously been the subject of review by the ETI Board. <a href="" target="_blank">AllAfrica.

Abbott Twitter Town Hall A Rocky Step Into Social Media Campaigning

Taking a step into the social media world, a tactic that has been deployed with success by Democrats in recent campaigns, Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott held a question and answer session live on Twitter yesterday evening.
In the two-hour one-hour window that he was answering questions, Abbott answered a total of 26 of the thousands that came through, meaning each answer took a little over two minutes to formulate and post, which isn't too bad of a response time in the living, breathing forum of Twitter that is constantly being updated and changing by the second. Texas Public Radio.

The Obama campaign’s leak crackdown

President Obama’s campaign manager, Jim Messina, launched an internal effort during the 2012 re-election to try and stop staffers from leaking sensitive information about the campaign’s technology operations to the media, POLITICO has learned.
In the wake of reports about the Obama campaign’s digital voter-targeting efforts, several staffers were questioned about whether they had leaked sensitve technological information to the press, sources familiar with the inquiries said. Those who were questioned were led to believe that there would be serious disciplinary action taken should they be identified as leakers. Politico.

Sudan state security bans second newspaper in a month

(Reuters) - Sudan's security services have banned a newspaper known for its independent stance, its editor said on Wednesday, the second paper to be shut down by the authorities in a month.
Sudan's constitution is supposed to guarantee press freedom but the government can be quick to censor independent or even pro-government media if they question its policies or single out senior officials for blame. Reuters.

NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico -- The capture of the homegrown boss of Mexico's most feared drug cartel wasn't discussed publicly by residents of this northern border city and not a word appeared in the local newspapers a day after the arrest of the Zetas' Miguel Angel Trevino Morales.
After all, this is a town where bodies have swung from a local overpass -- nine on one night last year. Decapitated heads frequently have been dropped along roadsides, and grenades have been tossed in the vicinity of anyone who dared protest, all in an effort to secure Trevino Morales' reign. The Willits News.

Why ‘Kill George Zimmerman’ Facebook Pages Still Exist

Facebook insists that safety is its "top priority," and that it removes content that threatens individuals. But multiple Facebook pages urging people to kill or otherwise harm George Zimmerman have been allowed to stay up on the site, while others have been taken down, causing confusion about what exactly members are allowed to post about the high-profile case.
After Zimmerman was found not guilty of the March 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin on Saturday, some angry supporters of the deceased 17-year-old made Facebook pages attacking the accused murderer. As far as we can see, these pages do not explicitly discuss how to kill Zimmerman or suggest any real plans to do so. But they do bear charged titles like "Kill George Zimmerman" and "George Zimmerman must DIE." Huffington Post.

EU group: Ethiopia should release jailed reporters

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- A delegation from the European Union's parliament is calling on Ethiopia's government to release jailed journalists and political activists.
Barbara Lochbihler, the head of the EU delegation, said Wednesday that Ethiopia is jailing journalists and activists for "exercising their legitimate right to freedoms of expression, association and religion."
A spokesman for Ethiopia's prime minister said the country doesn't have any political prisoners. In another sign the EU call might not be heeded, the delegation was at the last minute denied a pre-approved visit to the prison where the activists are being held.
Lochbihler said Ethiopia has an excellent constitution but that there are flaws "in the impartiality of the judicial system." The group called on Ethiopian authorities to release journalists, members of the opposition and others arbitrarily detained or imprisoned. WGME.

FDA WANTS TO TRACK ITS SOCIAL MEDIA REACH

The Food and Drug Administration is in the market for a digital tool to monitor how well it’s getting its message out through social media and whether the public’s response is positive or negative, solicitation documents show.
FDA’s external affairs office would use the proposed tool to track how often people share tweets and Facebook posts about its programs, which social media platforms they use to share the information, where they're doing it and what language the sharers are using, according to the sources sought notice published on Monday. Nextgov.

China media accuses Japan PM of dangerous politics

(Reuters) - Two of China's top newspapers accused Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday of dangerous politics that could threaten regional security, as Tokyo warned Beijing not to expand gas exploration in disputed waters of the East China Sea.
The People's Liberation Army Daily said Abe was trying to play the "China threat" angle, to win votes in July 21 elections, with a visit on Wednesday to Japan's southern island of Ishigaki, near islets claimed by both China and Japan.
Territorial claims by Japan and China over the uninhabited islets and resource-rich waters in both the East China Sea and South China Sea rank as one of Asia's biggest security risks.
During the visit to Ishigaki island, Abe repeated Tokyo's stand that the nearby disputed Senkaku islands, called the Diaoyu by China, are inherent Japanese territory, adding that he has no intention of conceding even one step. Reuters.

Bipartisan Senate group pushes reporter shield law

A bipartisan group of senators is pressing forward with a reporter shield bill that includes new Justice Department guidelines for investigations that involve the media.
Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, and Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., say they hope to have the legislation to a Senate committee as early as this week.
Schumer says the bill would ensure future administrations do not roll back protections for members of the media. Graham says the law will make it much harder for political appointees to stop reporters from doing their job. The Eagle.

THE LEFT TALKS “PROGRESS” ON SIRIUSXM

Sirius XM Radio announced it is ditching the channel name SiriusXM Left. The new name for channel 127 is now "SiriusXM Progress," and their slugline is "We don't just talk, we do." Activist Michelangelo Signorile will now host in the afternoon, and Media Matters' Ari Rabin-Havt from Media Matters will host mornings. His show is being called "The Agenda." The changes start Monday, July 22. Radio Ink.

American Journalism Review To Become Online Only Publication

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The American Journalism Review will end production of its print edition and launch a redesigned website in Fall 2013 as it becomes an online-only publication, the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism announced Wednesday.
The current AJR website will continue to be maintained and new articles uploaded throughout the summer.
The revamped site at AJR.org will offer content on news innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as the media criticism on which AJR has built its reputation over the past 36 years. American Journalism Review.

Limbaugh Seizes Opportunity to Use N-Word

Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh drew strong criticism from black journalists on Wednesday after he announced on the air that it's acceptable for him to use the n-word because some African Americans use it as slang, according to Media Matters.
Gregory Lee Jr., president of the National Association of Black Journalists, said Limbaugh should know better.
"We don't use any other offensive words on the air, why is this okay?" said Lee, who is also South Florida Sun-Sentinel executive sports editor. "As a professional broadcaster, he should have a deeper understanding of why. He knows why, but he knows this will help pump money into his empire by saying things of this sort."
At issue is a comment Limbaugh made on his syndicated radio show July 16th, in which he reacted to a CNN interview with Rachel Jenteal, a friend of slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin and witness in the murder trial of George Zimmerman. Jenteal had testified at the trial about her phone conversation with Martin the night he was shot and killed by Zimmerman.
In the CNN interview, Jenteal was asked if there was anything she wished she had said at the trial, she answered that she wished she had said, "n***a" in her court testimony.
After he played an audio clip of the CNN interview Limbaugh stated:
“This was between 9 and 10 pm last night on CNN, who is in a quest to become the, again, most respected news organization in the country, perhaps even in the world. So, "n***a," with an "a" on the end, well I think I can now. Isn't that the point? 'Cause it's not racist. That's the point. I could be talking about a male, a Chinese male, a guy at the Laundromat. I could be talking about a man. That's what she said it means,” Limbaugh said. The Root.

Social media tracker enables you to monitor the mood of the electorate as the poll gets closer

Was Tony Abbott praying extra hard last Sunday?

The Opposition Leader, who had appeared a bit battered by the reassertion of the Rudd juggernaut, had a bit of Sabbath respite last weekend when his popularity on Twitter popped ahead of the Prime Minister for the day.
Prime Minister Rudd also spent much of yesterday in the social media doldrums, after one of the ALP's advertising agencies was sprung offering interviews with the PM in exchange for free advertising on youth sites.
The major misstep by the agency, which was subsequently fired, showed how careful political players have to be in this campaign of 24-hour social media scrutiny.
All up there were nearly 130,000 tweets about Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd in the last week.
One of the most popular Rudd-related tweets this week was from comedian Tom Gleeson, who cracked about the Prime Minister: "Kevin Rudd apologises for saying he was a 'survivor of the Kokoda Track' but confirms he was a prisoner at Changi Airport." Herald Sun.

UN debates journalists, civilains protection in armed conflicts

The United Nations Security Council Wednesday holds an Open Debate on the protection of journalists marking the first time the Council considers this issue in a separate meeting since the adoption of landmark resolution 1738 on the protection of journalists in December 2006.
The United States, which holds the rotating Council Presidency in July, referred to the alarming increase in world-wide violence against journalists since 2006, in explaining its decision to hold the Open Debate.
Since the Council last considered this issue in 2006 "worldwide violence against journalists has worsened and there has been a particular increase in murders and imprisonment arising from conflict situations," said acting U.S. Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo, during a media briefing. NewsPakistan.

Media accusations of meddling in Egyptian affairs worry Gaza

Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip, find themselves accused by the Egyptian media of interfering in Egypt's internal affairs.
The Al-Resala newspaper, which has close ties to Hamas, wrote on its front page on Monday about an Egyptian media plan to implicate Gaza and tarnish the image of the Palestinians in Egypt."
Palestinian journalist Mamoun Abu Amer called for prosecuting what he coined “fascist” and “racist” Egyptian journalists who accuse Gaza of meddling in Egyptian affairs, and suggested the formation of a Palestinian human rights commission in Europe for this purpose. Egypt Independent.

Army deploys at Media Production City

The army deployed troops around Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) in 6 October City on Tuesday, amid speculation supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsy planned to rally outside the building.
Military officers were seen close to EMPC on Tuesday.
Several armored vehicles surrounded the city from all directions, while other elements of the armed forces secured the building from the inside.
The military command ordered patrols to comb the area around EMPC and secure roads leading to it.
Morsy’s supporters at Rabea al-Adaweya Square announced on Monday they will stage marches to the city to express their opposition to what they regard as misleading media coverage. Egypt Independent.

Politicians wrestle with social media as Japan allows Internet campaigning for first time

TOKYO — Taro Yamamoto, Japanese movie star turned political candidate, is live-streaming his campaign speeches and urging crowds to tweet his photo. The tech-savvy approach is a major departure from the old-style campaigning that has long dominated here.
An upper house election this Sunday marks the first time Internet campaigning is legal in Japan. That has political parties and candidates, many still novices at social media, scrambling to figure out how to use it to woo voters. Some boast only a few hundred Twitter followers; their Facebook posts are often just photos of the noodles they ordered for lunch.
Yamamoto, with more than 200,000 followers, is an exception. "Please take lots of photos of me and tweet them," the anti-nuclear activist told supporters this week. Daily Reporter.

Why Did Conservative Bloggers Shill for the Ukrainian Government?

Back in October of last year, several American conservative columnists began covering the Ukrainian parliamentary elections, and particularly defending the ruling party's jailing of the opposition's leader. None of those pundits, who wrote for the right-wing outlets Breitbart, RedState, and Pajamas Media, regularly covered Eastern European politics, and have not returned to the topic since those elections.
So why, exactly, did these small-government-loving and individual-freedom-hawking conservatives support a Ukrainian political party with a sketchy human rights record? Well, why does anyone do anything in the world? For money, a BuzzFeed article earlier today explained, citing one of those pundits. The Atlantic Wire.

Former US journalist heading for top UN role

National Security Adviser Susan Rice is handing over her outgoing post as US representative to the UN to a former journalist.
Samantha Power, 42, made her name documenting the international community’s failure in Bosnia, specifically to stop the massacre at Srebrenica in 1995.
She inherits a role which has a current focus on the Syrian conflict. Al Jazeera

Australian media coverage induced ‘kronic’ policy reaction

AN ANAYSIS of media reporting on the emergence of the synthetic cannabis ‘Kronic’ in Australia, has concluded that it generated ‘moral panic’ which led to reactive legislative changes that were ineffective, creating further drug-related harm.
Published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, the study, led by coordinator of Addiction Studies at Curtin University Stephen Bright, analysed the relationship between media reports on Kronic and subsequent legislative responses.
The researchers examined media reporting on Kronic – which predominantly appeared in Australia in 2011 – using Google Trends to gather time-trend graphs on stories published, and traffic search data.
Results indicated the dominant media discourse had constructed Kronic as a dangerous product. Science Network.

Joe Scarborough hammered conservative media on Tuesday's "Morning Joe," alleging that its news coverage is one reason that Republicans have lost the black vote.
"Why is it that we Republicans, certain elements of our party, seem to go out of their way to inflame minority voters?" Scarborough asked. "Why is it that I know I can count on conservative outlets to have a one-sided view and to talk about how a dead boy had it coming and he was in -- on marijuana, he was on pot and he was this, he was that and the other, a young young man."
"I would like in my lifetime for the Republican party to get more than 6% of the African-American vote," he said. Huffington Post.

Conservative pundit Laura Ingraham ripped CNN’s interview of Trayvon Martin’s friend Rachel Jeantel, saying the media’s fascination with the trial witness is indicative of “white guilt.”
The radio host took to Twitter Monday night, calling the interview “bizarre” and “sad.”
“‘N’ word must end w/ an ‘a’ to be non-racist, Rachel Jeantel just said. @CNN,” Ms. Ingraham said. “Calling someone ‘authentic’ or ‘fascinating’ when he/she speaks ignorantly & uses foul language is abhorrent. #exploitation #whiteguilt.”
Ingraham continued on her radio show Tuesday morning with guest Donald Trump, saying America needs an education system that teaches young people about “entrepreneurship and basic principles of American life and our culture and how to speak correctly,” Politico reported.
“Stop indulging people who can’t communicate and calling them authentic when in fact they’re just ignorant,” she added. “That’s the problem. We have white guilt going on out there. And they’re, ‘Oh Rachel Jeantel, she’s so authentic.’ What? It’s embarrassing.” Washington Times.

Fox News personalities have baselessly claimed that the IRS has been used as a weapon by the Obama administration to punish the president's political opponents, but newly released testimony from IRS employees provides even more evidence to contradict this claim.
When Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released partial transcripts that left the impression that scrutiny of non-profit applications from Tea Party groups was directed from Washington, Fox relentlessly repeated these claims.
Subsequently, House Democrats released a full transcript of an interview with an IRS screening manager showing that he denied contact with any Obama administration figures with regard to targeting conservative groups. Media Matters.

Zimmerman Verdict Drew 10 Million to Cable TV News

Despite breaking late on a weekend evening, the verdict in the murder trial of George Zimmerman attracted an audience of more than 10 million viewers to cable news networks, a huge total for a Saturday night.
Preliminary ratings showed that for the hour from 10 to 11 p.m., just after the verdict came in, Fox News and CNN each attracted well over three million viewers, while MSNBC trailed badly with only about 1.3 million.
Fox had the highest number, 3.68 million viewers, just ahead of CNN with 3.4 million. But CNN outpaced Fox News among the viewers that television advertisers pay most to reach, those between the ages of 25 and 54. In that category, CNN had 1.72 million viewers to 1.11 million for Fox News. MSNBC had only 510,000. New York Times.

Radki’s role after the Zimmerman trial

From RadioInk.
A not guilty verdict did not sit well with many people across the country. While much of conservative talk radio has praised the system for acquitting Zimmerman due to what was perceived as a lack of evidence on the part of the prosecution, the African American community isn't buying that. WVON in Chicago has been the voice of the African American community in that city since 1963. When the verdict came in over the weekend, WVON morning man Matt McGill knew what to expect Monday on his show. We spoke to McGill last night about listener reaction to the verdict and what role the station will play in this ongoing event moving forward. McGill says not one caller agreed with the verdict. Listen to the interview.

Samoa Urged to Halt Plans for New Media Council

Plans for the new statutory media council are deeply concerning so soon after threats to ban journalists from Parliament, says the Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF).
“Serious questions about the timing must be raised given that the government is breaking a two year timeframe recommended by its own law reform commission,” says PFF Chair Titi Gabi.
In June last year, the Samoa Law Reform Commission issued a report supporting a national media council to hear complaints.
But the Commission recommended a two year period to allow local media an attempt at self-regulation through its own independent media council. Solomon Times Online.
See also Radio Australia.

UK: Panel Discusses Leveson Report on Media Regulation

The British Parliamentary committee on Information and Broadcasting ministry today discussed the recommendations of Leveson Committee report, which suggested setting up of a strong and independent media regulator in the UK, and its relevance and implications in the Indian context.
The Leveson Committee report was brought out by a committee led by Justice Brian Leveson after the 'News of the World' phone hacking scandal in the UK. The 2000-page report had pitched for an independent and strong media regulator.
The meeting of the Consultative Committee on Information and Broadcasting was chaired by I&B minister Manish Tewari and attended by several MPs, a statement released here said.
The Committee also discussed the activities related to Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and Tewari told the Committee that the institute was in the process of drawing a roadmap whereby quality education could be provided in the field of mass communication in view of the changing media landscape. Outlook India.com

Panel reviews UK report on media ethics

NEW DELHI: The I&B consultative committee on Monday discussed UK's Leveson report which had been prepared in the wake of the News of the World controversy, only to attract strong reservations of MPs on the government exercise. The report was taken up in the context of discussions to revamp the Press Council of India and to deal with paid news.
MPs found the recommendations of the Leveson report "alarming". "There should be no control over media freedom in the name of regulation," an MP told TOI. Members questioned the purpose of this exercise and the efficacy of the regulatory agency suggested by Leveson. The Times of India.

Nepal: Media groups against binding govt policies

A Nepal media fraternity has urged the country's government not to formulate any long-term policies until the country gets a new constitution through the Constituent Assembly.
Expressing serious concerns over the Ministry of Information and Communi-cations uploading the draft of the new communication policy on its website, the Nepal Media Society, the Television Broadcasters’ Association, the Broadcasting Association of Nepal, the Association of Community Radio Broadcasters and the Radio Broadcasting Forum Nepal submitted a joint memorandum to the ministry on Monday.
The act of formulating legally binding policies in the transitional phase will deteriorate the political and media environment, the memorandum warns. Ekantipur.

Australian-entrepreneur-turned-politician Jamie McIntyre says he’s started his own political party to ‘‘keep both Labor and Liberal Parties honest’’.
But sources close to the party suggest he may have a fake Twitter following, with less than 3 per cent of his claimed 1 million Twitter followers actually being human.
An analysis of McIntyre’s private Twitter account suggests that the political aspirant, who is running against Barnaby Joyce for the seat of New England at this year’s federal election, may have even been purchasing followers for the past year. Sydney Morning Herald.

Jamie McIntyre

Politically tolerant people use social media, study says

People who talk politics on social media in Latin America and the Caribbean fit a very particular profile, according to research from Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP).
Social media use is “more likely among those who are younger, wealthier and more educated,” according to the Political Social Media Users in the Americas study posted on the LAPOP website. “It is also more likely to be found among urban (versus rural) residents.”
Other traits common among people active politically on social media outlets are ideological polarization – both conservative and liberal – and being supportive of democracy in the abstract.
“Thus, the use of social media for political purposes in the Americas is a positive complement to more conventional forms of democratic political engagement,” writes Jessica Brunelle, an undergraduate research fellow at LAPOP, in the report.
The most active users of social media for political discourse in the Latin Americas and Caribbean are found in the northern South American country of Suriname, followed by Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and the Dominican Republic. The least active countries are Belize, Honduras and Nicaragua. Research News at Vanderbilt.

Sexism in British media – in newspapers and on TV

Caroline Lucas was rebuked in the British Parliament for wearing a T-shirt objecting to topless pictures in newspapers and holding up page three of the Sun.
The Green MP was highlighting the campaign by some women's groups about the images, but also claims of widespread sexism in the print and broadcast media.
BBC Daily Politics presenter Jo Coburn reports on the image of women on camera. BBC.

Fox Promotes Conspiracy Theory That New Black Panthers Were Impetus For Zimmerman Trial

Fox News promoted a conspiracy theory that the racist fringe group known as the New Black Panthers is the secret driving force behind legal action taken against George Zimmerman, the man who killed 17 year-old Trayvon Martin.
Conservative race-baiting activist J. Christian Adams, who gained conservative fame after Fox adopted his false smear that the Justice Department dropped charges against a black defendant accused of voter intimidation due to racial bias, appeared on Fox & Friends on July 15 to comment on Zimmerman's not guilty verdict. Media Matters.

Social media churned over Trayvon Martin case

'We contend that social media in this day and age cannot be ignored," says a message on the website gzlegalcase. There could hardly be a clearer statement of the role of social media in the Trayvon Martin case. Especially since the website was created by Mark O'Mara, George Zimmerman's defense lawyer, in April 2012 to help raise money. It joined The Real George Zimmerman, a site Zimmerman himself had created. Philly.com

Explaining the Role of the News Media in George Zimmerman case

Experts at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies are explaining their thoughts on why the George Zimmerman case in Sanford became such a high-profile case, and what or who was responsible.
“The media first, some small columnists, and then social media, followed by the larger mainstream media played a significant role in framing the story,” said Kelly McBride, Poynter Senior Faculty for Ethics Reporting and Writing.
“President Obama raised the stakes when he himself commented on the case, and said that if he had a son he’d look just like Trayvon,” said Al Tompkins, also a Poynter Senior Faculty member.
Tomkins said he found it interesting that in several cases (O.J. Simpson, Casey Anthony, George Zimmerman), there were acquittals despite the significant pressure the coverage brought to the cases.
Both McBride and Tompkins said there are still questions Americans have about the way shootings that involve black victims are treated, as opposed to white victims, and whether justice is really blind when it comes to race. WUFT-FM.

The Chief of Staff to Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan, Mike Oghiadomhe, has urged journalists to sieve statements made by politicians in order to remove the inflammatory ones that could overheat the polity.
Oghiadomhe, during an interactive session with reporters at the State House, Abuja, while applauding the media for supporting Jonathan's administration, urged journalists to refrain from encouraging politicians to derail democracy.
Recalling the effects of the civilian war in Nigeria between 1967 and 1970 on families, he warned that not even the effect of HIV/AIDS could be comparable to the distress, dislocation, displacement then. AllAfrica.

South Dakota court system launches social media accounts

PIERRE, S.D., (AP) — The South Dakota Unified Judicial System is going social.
The statewide court system has announced that is has started several social media accounts to make it easier for people to receive updates.
The court system is now on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and YouTube.
State Court Administrator Patricia Duggan says using social media will help the court system disseminate information quickly and conveniently. Information posted will include court house closures, the release of new court opinions and significant events of interest. Anchorage Daily News.

With little media notice, Obama’s poll numbers sink

As the George Zimmerman jury reached its Not Guilty verdict in Florida this weekend, a broad array of Americans were passing a different judgment on President Obama. And it's not good news.
A new Rasmussen Reports survey of likely voters said only 43% of Americans now considers the Democrat an excellent or good leader. That's down from 55% late last year and 49% as recently as last month. Investors.com.

In his first public statement about the Tribune Company newspapers, Charles Koch said in an interview published Tuesday that "it's possible" that his company will make a bid.
Rumors have been swirling for months now that the conservative billionaire and his brother David are eyeing the titles, which include the Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune and Orlando Sentinel. Neither of them acknowledged the reports, until Charles Koch recently sat down with the Wichita Eagle. Huffington Post.

EU pulls plug on 3.2mn-euro online media tender

The European Union executive said Monday it had cancelled a plan to plough 3.2 million euros into creating an online media platform for high-brow Brussels coverage.
An invitation to bid for the "development, implementation and management of an online media dedicated to EU affairs" was halted for cost-cutting reasons at a time of political pressure to cut bloc spending.
European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding told AFP that "budgetary restrictions" imposed on planned spending by the 28-state bloc for the rest of the decade meant the tender was "ill-adapted." Global Post.

Media and the Yemen’s NDC

Media institutions have unfairly covered the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) and have produced a distorted image of the conference to citizens, said director of the NDC Media Center Mohammed Al-Asadi.
The NDC has garnered heavy media coverage since the formation of the NDC technical committee in July 2012 and its opening session in March.
The NDC was one of the outcomes of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative that ended the political deadlock following the uprising in 2011.
The initiative and conference have broad international and regional support, with fears that a failed conference could trigger a civil war in the country. Yemen Times.
For more information on the NDC, see IRIN.

Modest Public Interest in Close of Zimmerman Trial

The final days of the trial of George Zimmerman, which concluded July 13 with a verdict of not guilty, attracted relatively modest public interest overall. In a weekend survey, 26% say they were following news about the trial very closely.
This is lower than interest in the initial controversy over Trayvon Martin’s shooting when it erupted last year. In March 2012, 35% said they followed news about Martin’s shooting very closely.
However, the story has consistently attracted far more interest among blacks than whites – and that remained the case in the trial’s final days. Blacks are more than twice as likely as whites to say they tracked news about the Zimmerman trial very closely (56% vs. 20%).
Moreover, fully 67% of blacks say they watched at least some live coverage of the Zimmerman trial, compared with 38% of whites. About one-in-five blacks (21%) say they watched “almost all’’ of the trial coverage; just 5% of whites reported watching almost all of it. Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

JOE SCARBOROUGH STOPS JUST SHORT OF CALLING CONSERVATIVE PUNDITS A BUNCH OF RACISTS

In his new book, Brent Bozell warns that conservatives "will never win again" and the days of America's freedoms "are numbered" unless the crisis of media bias is acknowledged and addressed.
In "Collusion: How the Media Stole the 2012 Election," Bozell issues his dire warning of what's at stake if conservatives don't wake up - and stand up:
"The press has tilted liberal for decades, has it not? Yes, but never have the news media performed as they did in 2012, and if conservatives don't recognize this and commit themselves to changing the equation, they will not win again-at least not any time soon. With the real possibility that the days are numbered for this country's freedoms, it is not just a problem, it is a crisis."
Bozell says that, if conservatives don't address the crisis of media bias, they won't just suffer certain "political death" - they'll deserve it. CNSNEWS.com

Ignored by media: Zimmerman voted for Obama, tutored black kids

Al Sharpton has incited crowds with "arrest Zimmerman now!" and MSNBC's Joe Scarborough has flatly called George Zimmerman a murderer. Yet what has been widely underreported by the majority of American news organs is that Zimmerman is actually an Obama Democrat who has quite the history of working with and for fellow Americans of African heritage, as reported by The Telegraph (of London, England) on 15 July, 2013; both the Mercury News (of Silicon Valley, CA) and The National Review on July 14, 2013; and Breitbart.com on Feb. 6, 2013.
At times collectively and others singularly, The Telegraph, the Mercury News and The National Review have all cited past instances of Zimmerman's liberal/Democrat street-cred that would cause any Hollywood starlet or six figure income resident of Manhattan's tony Upper West Side hang their head in shame. Examiner.com.

Indian media: Remembering telegram’s rich history

The government on Sunday night ended the service, triggering a last-minute rush at telegraph offices as people came to send a "nostalgic last telegram" to their loved ones.
"Curtains came down on Sunday night on the 163-year-old telegram service in the country - the harbinger of good and bad news for generations of Indians - amid a last minute rush of people thronging telegraph offices to send souvenir messages to family and friends," the India Today website reports
Once used widely in the country, the popularity of the service has been severely affected by the advent of e-mails and text messages in the last two decades, papers say. BBC.

Were They Disappointed We Didn’t Riot?

Were they disappointed that we didn't riot?
That was the sentiment of some who took to Twitter to give their accounts of the peaceful protests against George Zimmerman's acquittal that took place in Oakland, Calif., Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and other cities across the country on Sunday.
While the demonstrations focused on frustration with the verdict, Twitter accounts reflected what was seen as another instance of injustice: inadequate coverage of media coverage of the events, and especially of the accounts of those who said Los Angeles Police were firing rubber bullets at the crowds.
A few of those accounts and reactions: The Root.

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Japan: Other parties trying to catch up with LDP in social media election campaigns

The Upper House election this year has become more interesting in terms of the campaign period, since for the first time, parties are allowed to use the Internet to promote their candidates. While the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is ahead in terms of response to its social media campaigns, the other parties are trying to catch up with them as we enter the final stage of the campaign period.
The LDP has far more Facebook, Twitter and Line followers than the other political parties and they enjoy a spike in positive feedback every time Prime Minister Shinzo Abe talks about his economic policies, more popularly known as “Abenomics,” during televised debates. An analysis of their Internet data has led the LDP to conclude that Abe’s high approval ratings and his large number of Facebook followers has spilled over into the party’s website and social networks. Junior partner New Komeito also has a large number of followers, with the highest number of Line contacts among all the parties. Their over 100,000 contacts are informed of the schedules and TV appearances of their executives and candidates. Japanese Daily Press.

England: Coverage ‘may put off ex-officers’

Retired police officers may be discouraged from giving evidence to ongoing investigations into the Hillsborough disaster because premature comments from senior politicians and others may have given the impression "that the result is a foregone conclusion", a group representing them has said.
The chairman of the Sheffield branch of the National Association of Retired Police Officers said his members are being encouraged to co-operate with the various ongoing inquiries into the disaster that claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans in 1989.
But Mick Brookfield said there were concerns that advance media coverage and statements from leading politicians "who should know better" would discourage his members. Halifax Courier.

New Haven mayoral race includes wide use of social media

New Haven, Connecticut, mayoral candidates are increasing their clout and Klout.
And in 2013, the clout and Klout that comes with social media use can’t be ignored.
“It’s an essential part of a politician’s tool kit that would be ignored at their own peril,” said Richard Hanley, an associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University. New Haven Register.

Australian media: We’ll let you know if politicians start bending the truth

Fairfax Media has announced it will partner with world-acclaimed political fact-checking organisation PolitiFact as part of its in-depth coverage of the election. Fairfax's five metropolitan mastheads, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Canberra Times, brisbanetimes.com.au and WAtoday.com.au, will join PolitiFact throughout the campaign to sift through election contenders' claims, counter-claims, promises and statements. PolitiFact Australia is headed by a former editor-in-chief and publisher of the Herald, Peter Fray, and is run under licence from its US parent organisation. It won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the 2008 presidential election and is now featured in several major US news organisations. ''The rigour and disciplined approach that PolitiFact is known for is a natural fit with Fairfax journalism,'' Mr Fray said. Garry Linnell, director of News Media for Fairfax, said: ''We respect the independence, integrity and innovation that PolitiFact brings to the table.'' Sydney Morning Herald.

Mumbai Police tracks social media to gauge public sentiment

In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the Mumbai Police has started tracking public views and sentiments on social media platforms to step-up its preparedness in handling sensitive issues and protests.
For this purpose, the country's first social media lab has been established by the Mumbai Police, with the help of IT-ITES industry body NASSCOM in technical infrastructure and training, while SocialAppsHQ.com provided the law enforcement agency with a social monitoring app, a NASSCOM official said. India Today.

Zimmerman Defense Attorney Slams Media Coverage

(Sanford, FL) -- George Zimmerman was turned into a "monster" and "the most hated man in America" by the media, according to his lawyer. Mark O'Mara says that reporters were "fed" a story by the lawyer for Trayvon Martin's parents and ran with it and ran over Zimmerman in the process. O'Mara says the media failed his client and so did the prosecutors who filed a charge of second-degree murder. O'Mara believes the charge was filed because of public pressure and not because there was evidence to support a charge of second-degree murder. WBZT.

Zimmerman verdict sends media on a Saturday night live scramble

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The verdict finding George Zimmerman not guilty in the death of Trayvon Martin was announced at 10 p.m. (ET) Saturday, and it was a network news operation, ABC, not any of the all-news cable channels, that had the best initial TV coverage.
By comparison, ABC’s network rivals, NBC and CBS, were not in the same league on TV or online.
The cable news channels initially rode a press conference with prosecution lawyers longer than they should have as Florida State Attorney Angela Corey tried to spin her way out of a failed performance by her team. The cable channels were vamping onscreen, while scrambling backstage.
But once MSNBC and Fox News got their crews in place, it only got worse in some ways. Baltimore Sun.

Saturation media coverage Saturday night for Zimmerman decision

Three of the major broadcast networks as well as the four major cable news networks all covered the George Zimmerman trial verdict Saturday night at about 10 p.m.
Zimmerman, who killed Trayvon Martin last year in the emotional case, was deemed not guilty by the Florida jury.
ABC missed the actual verdict while airing the final moments of "666 Park Avenue." David Muir replayed the "not guilty" announcement, then continued with the Zimmerman case at 10:16 p.m. via its regular 20/20 episode. NBC briefly reported the news, pre-empting a portion of a repeat of "Get Out Alive With Bear Grylls" but returned to the reality show by 10:08 p.m.. CBS cut into a repeat of "48 Hours" but returned to the murder case it was originally recounting at about 10:08 p.m.. Fox was airing a baseball game. Access Atlanta.com

India looks for lessons from Leveson report on media

Amid the ongoing debate over regulation of the media, the Consultative Committee on Information and Broadcasting will on Monday discuss the U.K.’s Leveson Committee report with an emphasis on its applicability for India.
The British government had, in the wake of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, set up a committee, led by Justice Brian Leveson to enquire into the ‘culture, practice and ethics’ of the press, including the media’s relations with politicians and the police. The panel’s 2,000-page report had slammed the media for “sensationalism” and “recklessness”, and recommended a strong and independent regulator. In March this year, political parties agreed to a deal to set up such a mechanism through a royal charter. The Hindu.

George Zimmerman Coverage: Journalists And Pundits React Emotionally To Not Guilty Verdict

George Zimmerman's acquittal in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin prompted an impassioned outpouring of responses from members of the media on Saturday night.
The case had gripped the country, and the press, for over a year, and had proved as divisive and emotionally fraught as any trial could be. The reactions from journalists and pundits showed the depth to which the trial had become a symbol of race, the criminal justice system and what it means to be young and black in the United States.
While left-leaning media figures mostly expressed outrage at the verdict, conservatives largely either lamented the overall situation or cheered the result. Huffington Post.

George Zimmerman Acquitted, Media Guilty

A Sanford, Florida jury found George Zimmerman not guilty on all charges late Saturday night in the trial he faced involving the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin.
The trial quickly became a media spectacle after supporters of Martin's family convinced the left-leaning national press that regional law enforcement authorities had declined to prosecute Zimmerman because Martin was black. Local officials insisted that Zimmerman was unlikely to be convicted of anything based on the evidence they could find. It appears that initial judgment was correct.
Besides propelling the case into the national spotlight, the biased coverage of some media outlets did apparently have at least one other effect. One witness, Jeannee Manalao, stated that she had mistakenly believed Martin to have been younger than he was at the time of his death because the media had only shown older photos of the Florida teen. NewsBusters.

Zimmerman not guilty: Verdict sparks social media avalanche

As expected, social media erupted Saturday night when George Zimmerman was found not guilty on Saturday of all charges in the shooting of Trayvon Martin.
The reactions that poured in from around the country ranged from agreement with the verdict to outrage. A number of Twitter users also expressed sympathy for Martin's family.
The entire trial was widely discussed and tracked on social media. Thousands tweeted and posted on Facebook with hashtags such as #Zimmerman and #StandWithTrayvon.
Commentary and speculation swirled in the days leading up to the verdict. In a symbolic move, Martin's supporters blacked out Twitter and Facebook profile photos and circulated the #Blackout4Trayvon hashtag.
"We are blacking out our profile photos in a showing of love, unification and solidarity in support of Trayvon Benjamin Martin and have been joined in this effort by his family and their attorneys here on Facebook," according to a statement post on the "Justice for Trayvon Martin" Facebook page. Los Angeles Times.

MSJ head: PP uses ads to threaten media houses

Political leader of the Movement for Social Justice, David Abdulah, said yesterday that he is aware of Government ministers who threaten to withdraw advertisements from media houses in an attempt to punish them. Abdulah was speaking at a press conference at the Communications Workers Union Hall on Henry Street in Port-of-Spain.
Abdulah said he heard “with his own ears” Government ministers speak at a June 2011 People’s Partnership caucus in Tobago about using the State advertising budget to “penalise media that they believe are being unfair to them.” On Thursday, the MSJ released a statement in support of Guardian Media Ltd journalists who had resigned citing political interference in the daily operations of the paper. Abdulah did not name the ministers whom he heard make such statements and said he would do so at a later date. Trinidad & Tobago Guardian Online.

Holder releases new rules for media surveillance

The Justice Department dumped its new rules for federal investigations of media organizations late Friday, saying it will ensure “more robust oversight” prior to approving future investigations of reporters’ activities.
The statement is intended to end the scandal caused by the revelation that the department had claimed Fox news reporter James Rosen broke the law while seeking a court’s approval for surveillance of the reporter’s source in the federal government.
“Members of the news media will not be subject to prosecution based solely on newsgathering activities… the department views the use of [surveillance] tools to seek evidence from or involving the news media as an extraordinary measure,” said the statement. The Daily Caller.

Social media sparks recall efforts against Mayor Bob Filner

SAN DIEGO - A local man is turning to social media to get San Diego Mayor Bob Filner out of office.
Michael Pallamary is a land use consultant who says he is fed up with the controversy surrounding the mayor. So, he created a Facebook page called "Recall Bob Filner." The page had more than 500 "likes" as of Saturday evening.
Pallamary says he created the page in late June before allegations of sexual harassment against the mayor surfaced at City Hall. 10News.

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) today said that the new draft Somali media legislation can still curb media freedom and endangers editorial independence and media pluralism.
Somalia's council of ministers passed on Thursday, 11 July, a draft media law, which is expected to replace December 2007 media law. But journalists believe that this draft law can be used to silence critical media and public debate in the country.
"If left unchanged and passed by the Federal Parliament, draft law would seriously restrict media pluralism, curb the independence of the press and impose a chilling effect on freedom of expression and public debate, all essential for democracy," said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General. All Africa.

Twitter vs. Mainstream Media

The Boston bombings gave us a glimpse into the contentious world of Twitter news-breaking. Vigilante investigators took to Twitter and Reddit to find the bombers, and soon the names “Sunil Tripathi” and “Mike Mulugeta” began clanging around the information sphere.
As Alexis Madrigal highlighted in the Atlantic, that intel was totally wrong, of course, but the episode did demonstrate a phenomenon that now happens some 20% of the time, according to a new study from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics: While traditional newswires still dominate the dissemination game, Twitter still scoops old media on certain stories--largely ones dealing with sports, major disasters, and sometimes riots. Co.Exist.

Trial by media versus political self-harming

Overkill analysis of the leader's weaknesses and flaws. The slightest stumble magnified. Speculation based on anonymous inside sources, sometimes from bloggers and tweets, picked up by mainstream media. Political sources giving journalists the low-down but denying it publicly ...
If David Shearer thinks the media aren't giving him a fair go, he need only look across the ditch to the two-year media undermining of former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. A new book by Australian political journalist Kerry-Anne Walsh condemns her colleagues' complicity in the destabilisation of Gillard by deposed leader Kevin Rudd, his supporters and Labor's right-wing opponents. The New Zealand Herald.

Hey, remember the mayoral race? Eliot Spitzer steals spotlight with run for comptroller

NEW YORK (PIX11) – What happened to the Mayor’s race?
Last Sunday, all the usual suspects were posing with big smiles while on the stump in various boroughs.
Less than 24 hours later, the week’s media coverage was hijacked by the suddenly en vogue office of City Comptroller.
Actually it was Eliot Spitzer who bogarted all the media coverage.
The disgraced former governor emerged from the political graveyard to contend for New York City Comptroller, The move coming five years after calling it quits over call girls. Pix11.

Journalism Leads Social Media Sharing in Brazilian Protests

News pro.duced by Brazilian newspapers, portals and TV channels were the ones most shared on social network sites during the protests that swept the nation in June.
From June 6 to 22, Brazilian media links on the internet accounted for 80% while using the most important hashtags related to demonstrations on Twitter, according to data from the site Topsy. Only 5% of these links came from blog posts.
On Facebook, even when it is not possible to analyze the nature of the links, the press also multiplied its reach. Survey from the SocialBakers site shows that the number of people commenting and sharing news coming from Brazilian papers tripled in this period. Folha de S.Paulo.

Social media evolving the way people follow court cases

BOSSIER CITY, LA (KSLA) - Trayvon Martin's attorney has credited social media in attracting national attention to the case. Now, in the last stretch of the trial, many are taking to social media to express who they support. Lately, Trayvon Martin supporters have started what they call "A Blackout for Justice."
Blacked out avatars have been popping up on social media sites along with hash tags: #JusticeforTrayvon and #blackout. It's a movement that Bossier Parish Community College Social Media Expert Kim Webb says would be impossible without social media. The Martin supporters' campaign highlights the new way technology influences how people watch high-profile court stories unfold. "Before social media, all communication was downward, people were told what they were going to hear, people are now able to give their opinions and the communication has been moved sideways," said Kim Webb. KSLA.

Egypt Government Cracks Down On News Media

In Egypt, leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood are being charged with inciting violence in the days after Islamist President Mohammed Morsi was ousted by the Egyptian military.
But it’s not just supporters of Morsi who are being targeted.
Andrew Hosken of the BBC reports that members of the media who are seen as sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood are also facing a crackdown. WBUR.

World’s media sweat it out for Britain’s royal baby

The media frenzy over the birth of Prince William and his wife Catherine's baby reached fever pitch on Saturday as the reported due date came and went with no sign of the royal heir.
A rumour that the Duchess of Cambridge had gone into labour on Thursday spread like wildfire on Twitter and reportedly caused Prime Minister David Cameron's office to call Buckingham Palace to check on it. Fox News.

Shalini Singh bags Prem Bhatia award for political reporting

Shalini Singh, a Deputy Editor with The Hindu, has bagged the prestigious Prem Bhatia Award for Political Reporting-2013.
She has been selected for her ‘excellent coverage of several key issues,’ particularly her ‘reporting of the telecom and Coalgate scandals.’
S. Nihal Singh, chairman of the four-member jury that decided on the award, said: “We were impressed with Shalini Singh’s meticulousness in pursuing a story to its logical conclusion, which is not a quality to be found in many reporters. The whole idea of the award is to recognise journalists who show great promise, and Ms. Singh’s work on the 2G scam, Coalgate and her information-gathering skills made her a fit candidate.” The Hindu.

Media houses losing to market forces, says Tariq Ali

A range of issues concerning the media — from the growing corporate control to the explosion in social media — and the challenge of staying objective in the face of a decline in the “moral universe” were discussed by renowned journalists, acclaimed writers, and academicians here on Wednesday.
Underscoring the significance of total freedom for producers and directors of media houses, writer, filmmaker and journalist Tariq Ali said much of their success in the past was because they enjoyed the right to fail, while coming up with initiatives. With market forces coming into play, heads of departments no longer had that right and decisions were being made by managers. This was one reason for media productions looking so similar.
Mr. Ali was participating in a panel discussion on ‘New imperialism, new wars, new media and new Left’ organised by the Media Development Foundation (MDF) at the Asian College of Journalism. “Young people think getting involved with the original Left is not going to lead them anywhere.” What it resulted in are huge movements, participants of which occupy public squares but are not able to arrive at a set of demands, he said, citing his interactions with some ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protesters. The Hindu.

Ben Carson joins Washington Times

The Washington Times has tapped Ben Carson, the pediatric neurosurgeon-turned-conservative hero, to serve as a weekly columnist, the paper announced today.
Carson gained national attention after a speech at this year National Prayer Breakfast in which he railed against American political correctness and promoted a flat tax. His comments earned praise from Rush Limbaugh and various Fox News hosts. Politico.

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Newly seen Murdoch seen beaming in Idaho

Newly single Rupert Murdoch was photographed beaming today as he arrived at a conference for the who's who of media and entertainment flanked by his sons, just weeks after his divorce was announced.
The 82-year-old, looking more like a man in his seventies, was at the Sun Valley Resort in Idaho with sons James and Lachlan Murdoch for the annual event, hosted by New York Investment bank Allen & Co.
The media giant had attended the conference in the past with wife Wendi Deng, who he last month filed for divorce from after 14-years of marriage, claiming in tersely worded court documents their union had 'broken down irretrievably.' The couple have two children. Daily Mail.

Journalist Assassinated in Violent Russian Republic

MOSCOW — A prominent journalist who had accused local authorities of persecuting and kidnapping Muslims was shot dead in an ambush in the violent Russian republic of Dagestan on Tuesday, police officials said.
The journalist, Akhmednabi Akhmednabiyev, 53, a deputy editor of the independent daily newspaper Novoye Delo, had already survived a January assassination attempt at the same spot just outside the capital, Makhachkala. New York Times.

WikiLeaks a journalism high point -U.S. court-martial witness

FORT MEADE, Md., July 10 (Reuters) - WikiLeaks and its model of decentralized leaking of secrets is a high point in journalism history, a Harvard professor testified on Wednesday at the court-martial of a U.S. soldier charged with passing secret documents to the website.
Testifying for the defense at the trial of Private First Class Bradley Manning, Harvard Law School professor Yochai Benkler said WikiLeaks had taken on a role that had always been played by investigative journalism.
WikiLeaks is "a clear distinct component of what in the history of journalism we see as high points, where journalists are able to come in and say, 'Here's a system operating in a way that is obscure to the public and now we're able to shine the light,'" said Benkler, the co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society. Reuters.

Security, media swarm courthouse for Tsarnaev hearing

SOUTH BOSTON – Boston's federal courthouse was blanketed in security and swarming with news media Wednesday as the city braced for the arraignment of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev -- his first public appearance since the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings.
Outside the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse on the South Boston waterfront, more than a dozen TV news trucks took up every curbside spot. Ribbon-encased sidewalk space, reserved for TV cameras, quickly filled up. Camera operators then scrambled for sidewalk space across the street, where they vied to catch a glimpse of the suspect on his way to court. USA Today.

‘Journalism isn’t dying, rural reporting has’

BANGALORE: Twitter is journalism, so is Facebook. Who says journalism is dying? It's probably only the print that is dying and that too not in India. But rural reporting definitely doesn't exist in newspapers.
You obviously don't expect a journalism professor to tell you that the profession is dying. But Sonora Jha, professor of Journalism and chair at the department of communication, Seattle University, tells her students that India is the best example of how newspaper reading will probably not die, not anytime soon. Times of India.

Glenn Greenwald Rips ‘Shoddy Journalism’ About Him In WaPo

The Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald tore into the Washington Post and reporter Walter Pincus on Wednesday over an article which alleges that Greenwald and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange directed National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden to get work with the NSA and Booz Allen in order to access and reveal American intelligence gathering practices. Greenwald slammed Pincus’ “frenzied and inane conspiracy theory,” attacked the Post for not correcting errors in that story, and observed that this is an example as to why “establishment venues” like the Post are held in “such low esteem.” Mediaite.

The Sunday Morning Shows Are Still White, Conservative, And Male

Media Matters has continued its monitoring of the Sunday morning talk shows on broadcast and cable networks. Following up on our previous study, we've added data for April, May, and June to the existing data collected for January, February, and March of this year on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, CBS' Face the Nation, Fox Broadcast Co.'s Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, NBC's Meet the Press, CNN's State of the Union with Candy Crowley, and MSNBC's Up with Steve Kornacki and Melissa Harris-Perry.
Except For MSNBC, White Men Still Dominate Guests Lists On The Sunday Shows
White Men Are The Largest Proportion Of All Guests On The Broadcast Networks And CNN. During the first six months of this year, white men were no less than 58 percent and as high as 66 percent of guests on This Week, Face the Nation, Meet the Press, Fox News Sunday, and State of the Union. Melissa Harris-Perry stands out as having a much more even distribution between white men and women and African-American men and women than all other shows. Media Matters.

Australians think media and political parties are most corrupt institutions

Australians rank political parties and the media as the most corrupt institutions in the country, according to the latest Global Corruption Barometer.
The Barometer, by the corruption watchdog Transparency International, surveyed more than 100,000 people worldwide about their perceptions of, experiences with, and responses to corruption in their daily life.
Around the same proportion – 58% – ranked political parties and the media as guilty of being corrupt or “extremely corrupt”, a higher percentage than for all other institutions the survey asked about.
On a scale of one to five, five being “extremely corrupt”, the media and political parties scored 3.6 among Australians, up 0.3 on the last survey in 2010/11. The Guardian.

Evening television news outlets have largely not reported on two important cases issued by the Supreme Court that rolled back workplace anti-discrimination law, despite the urgent call for congressional action issued by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her dual dissents.
Ginsburg, in addition to being one of the most accomplished justices in history due to her trailblazing civil rights work, has also been a crucial participant in the dialogue between the Court and Congress over the scope of anti-discrimination law. Most famously, it was Ginsburg who successfully called upon Congress to act after the notorious Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2007) decision, when the conservative majority twisted the intent of Title VII's protections against employment discrimination to make it easier to illegally pay women less than their colleagues. Media Matters.

Ron Paul announces own media venture

Former US congressman Ron Paul has announced the launch of a new media network this summer, adding that to a growing list of projects announced since his retirement, including an upcoming book on American education.
According to a video posted to Facebook last weekend, the imminent launch of The Ron Paul Channel is in response to the coordination between news outlets and government sources. Question More.

Eliot Spitzer The Latest To Pass Through The Revolving Door Of Media And Politics

Eliot Spitzer is just the latest politician to make the well-worn course from public office to the media and back again.
Spitzer, who is running for comptroller in New York City, is, in one sense, reintroducing himself to his potential constituents. But even though he's been out of office for over five years, he's never really left the stage, having already hosted two cable news shows on two different networks and maintaining a regular presence on the pundit circuit. Spitzer was able to use the time to keep himself--and his political opinions--somewhat in the public eye. He also made it possible to remain a fixture in the media and political social circuit, giving him crucial national attention when he decided to return to politics. Huffington Post.

Media Continue To Ignore Economic News

Media coverage of economic news has declined sharply over the past three months.
Media Matters research reveals a roughly 80 percent cumulative decline in segments dedicated to economic issues from April 1 through June 30. The week of the Boston Marathon bombings yielded zero news segments dedicated to economic coverage. Media diverted from its traditional lineup to cover the attack and ensuing manhunt. Even after accounting for this outlier in the data, economic coverage across the three major cable and broadcast networks displayed a strong negative trend. Media Matters.

Social media users pledges allegiance to Jyoti Basu’s politics

Kolkata, July 9: Hundreds of social media loyalists of Jyoti Basu renewed their allegiance to the late Marxist patriarch's ideologies Monday - the launch of the former West Bengal chief minister's centenary celebrations. Legions of loyalists paid tribute to their celebrated "Comrade" through comments and poems on the social networking site Facebook.
Pledging support to Basu's philosophy, many dubbed the "leader of masses" as an inspiration. One India News.

China releases journalist Du Bin from detention

Chinese journalist Du Bin has been conditionally released after five weeks of detention by state security officials.
The film-maker and photographer disappeared days before the anniversary of the Tiananmen killings on 4 June.
He was held at a detention centre in Fengtai district.
He told the BBC that officials questioned him about a book he wrote on the 1989 Tiananmen square crackdown and a documentary he made on a labour camp. BBC.

Al-Jazeera kicked out of Egypt news conference

CAIRO (AP) — Journalists for the pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera have been kicked out of a news conference being held by Egypt's military on the killing of at least 54 people, most of them supporters of Egypt's ousted president, outside an army facility.
Qatar-based Al-Jazeera was founded by the Gulf nation's ruling family. The tiny but wealthy country was a strong supporter of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who was toppled by the military on Wednesday.
The station broadcast graphic images of those killed and wounded in the violence Monday outside a military facility. Associated Press.

Mideast journalists allege bias in al-Jazeera’s reporting

Al-Jazeera, the pan-Arabic news channel, has always battled charges of bias, both from government officials in the Middle East and from those in Washington. But on Monday, the bias claims came from an unusual source: other Middle Eastern journalists.
In an unusual episode, al-Jazeera’s reporters were kicked out of a news briefing held by the Egyptian military in Cairo after the shooting of dozens of supporters of Mohammad Morsi, the nation’s ousted president. According to an Associated Press account, the al-Jazeera journalists left the meeting amid chants from the crowd of “Out! Out!” Washington Post.

CNN Becomes Target Of Egypt Protesters

CNN has become a target of protesters in Egypt after it mistakenly labeled a crowd as being supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi and repeatedly referred to his overthrow as a "coup."
The crowd was actually protesting against Morsi, and backers of his ouster have strongly objected to calling it a coup, saying that the Egyptian military deposed him based on popular will. CNN called the events a coup minutes after Morsi's departure from office was announced last Wednesday. Huffington Post.

Rupert Murdoch Summoned To Parliament Again

Rupert Murdoch has been summoned to appear before a British parliamentary committee for the second time in three years.
The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee announced Tuesday that it had voted to ask Murdoch to face new questions about his media company's phone hacking and corruption scandal.
The announcement came after a new, secret recording surfaced which showed Murdoch lambasting the police investigation into News International (now called News UK) and acknowledging that some of his journalists had been guilty of paying police officers. Huffington Post.

Press industry pushes ahead with new regulator despite political deadlock

The British newspaper and magazine industry is pushing ahead with the establishment of a new press regulator despite the continuing political impasse over royal charters.
Industry bodies representing leading publishers including Rupert Murdoch's News UK, the Daily Mail publisher, Associated Newspapers, and Telegraph Media Group announced on Monday that the replacement body for the discredited Press Complaints Commission will be called the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), with draft constitutional documents being published for consideration by 200-plus news organisations. The Guardian.

David Gregory Just Can’t Win

It looks like David Gregory is just going to be everybody’s whipping boy from now on.
He’s a frequent target for attacks from the right, but this weekend even the left-leaning Media Matters went after him over an Obamacare segment on Meet the Press. Fish Bowl DC.

Turkey: Citizen Journalism Under Attack; Facebook Collaborates

The Bar Association in Izmir organized a press conference stating that the Twitter arrests in the aftermath of the Gezi protests were based on illegally gathered information and no court decision. The police had staged a pre-emptive arrest of the authors of digital content in the absence of a direct order to even investigate the situation, finding evidence of any obvious criminal act, or a judge’s order to carry out these arrests.
The Bar’s report stated “Police officers, without a court warrant, logged into the Twitter and Facebook accounts of several people, went through and saved their message/sharing history. This happened in the absence of a court ruling to pursue these people, even when there was no need to determine their IP addresses. People were arrested out of suspicion and assumptions in pre-emptive manner.” Turkish political analyst / blogger Gürkan Özturan from Istanbul

Egypt’s New Leaders Press Media to Muzzle Dissent

CAIRO — As soldiers and policemen opened fire on supporters of President Mohamed Morsi outside an army officers’ club on Friday, killing at least four people, one of Egypt’s state television channels broadcast a religious show that advised viewers to respect the elderly.
On a second state channel, a police officer gave an interview, assuring the public that the department was working night and day to “secure the people.”
After the military removed Mr. Morsi from power while promising that it was not “excluding” any party from participating in Egypt’s future, the leadership moved forcefully to control the narrative of the takeover by exerting pressure on the news media. New York Times.

Scottish independence: Social media and the referendum

Since Barack Obama's rise to office in the US five years ago social media and the internet have been seen as absolutely crucial campaign tools.
Yes Scotland and Better Together are fighting for the online "edge" in the Scottish independence referendum campaign, with Better Together launching their so-called "patriot system" this week.
For BBC Scotland's Sunday Politics Scotland programme, political correspondent Niall O'Gallagher looked at how these digital campaigns could affect the outcome. BBC.

STANBUL, Turkey — Turkey’s media regulator has rejected a demand by influential Turkish charities to censor coverage of LGBT events in the country’s media.
A group of leading conservative Turkish charities slammed media organizations for covering this year’s Istanbul gay pride.
In a statement signed by 74 charities on Friday, the organizations described Istanbul gay pride as “an attack against public morality and core values.”
The statement called for censorship of reporting on LGBT events, and condemned printing photos of pride participants, which it deemed irresponsible and “pornographic.” LGBTQ Nation.

Eliot Spitzer ‘Welcomed’ Back To Politics By New York Media

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Shortly after news broke Sunday night that disgraced former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer planned to enter the city's comptroller race, Capital New York's political reporter Azi Paybarah tweeted:.@nypost headline writers, you're dream has come true.
With not one, but two, scandal-ridden former politicians running for public offices, New York tabloid writers were sure to have their hands full. And on Monday morning, they proved that they were up for the challenge (though who would ever doubt them?). The Post and New York Daily News tackled the Spitzer announcement with their typical enthusiasm, referencing the prostitution scandal that led to his resignation. Huffington Post.

Social media infiltrates Zimmerman trial

Trayvon Martin's fatal shooting garnered worldwide attention when the man who fatally shot him wasn't arrested for weeks — a backlash fueled largely by social media. Now, social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have permeated George Zimmerman's trial both inside and outside the courtroom.
A witness who testified via Skype was inundated with calls from other users on the Internet-based phone service, and a defense attorney was tripped up by a photo his daughter posted on Instagram. Jurors and witnesses have been grilled about their postings and whom they follow. Houston Chronicle.

Is journalism even a profession anymore?

VANCOUVER, BC, Jul 7, 2013/ Troy Media/ -As anyone with a daughter or son in journalism school knows, the study of mass media writing and reporting is becoming more expensive and the practice less and less remunerative, assuming, of course, a job is even found. I would really like to see the employment statistics of J-school graduates over the past decade; I bet that they are depressingly awful.
The financial meltdown of 2008 was a precipitating factor for many young graduates leaving the journalism trade. The internet has also greatly aided and abetted the slimming, trimming and folding of the print newspapers of the Boomer era. Several friends who were newspaper editors and publishers are now enjoying early retirement or new careers in corporate or governmental public relations. None of them are enthusiastic about the future of print news media; most of them forecast its demise within the decade if not sooner. Troy Media.

Hugo Chávez awarded journalism prize

Edgy website reveals conservatism’s new look

Chicks on the Right — two professional, working Central Indiana mothers who wear lipstick and talk about boob jobs — run an edgy, conservative website. They are known to their followers as Daisy (Amy Jo Clark) and Mockarena (Miriam Weaver).
Launched in 2009, their website boasts nearly 1.5 million views a month and continues to climb the Alexa list of the nation's top 100 conservative sites, ranking No. 16 today.
The Chicks' Facebook fan page has more than 165,000 followers. Their Twitter account, more than 11,000 followers. They just landed a Saturday afternoon radio show on WIBC. A book is in the works, expected to be released early next year.
The two women attribute their popularity to a void in politics. The Indianapolis Star.

The Simón Bolívar National Award of Journalism 2013 was awarded to the former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, Euronews reported.
Journalist Lil Rodríguez, a member of the jury who announced the decision, explained: “Neither Simón Bolívar nor Hugo Chávez were journalists and we have never had better communicators than the two of them.”
The award was unanimously given to the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution with the jury wanting to recognise how he “returned leadership to the Venezuelan people, took up the cause of the oppressed, and for his role in fighting against lies and media manipulation.”
Chávez died in March earlier this year. His family will receive the award later this month. Panorama.

Election organizers and the nation's broadcast commission said they were now devising stricter regulations on media campaigns after at least two of the nation's media tycoons had declared their bids to join the 2014 presidential race.
General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiyansyah said the commission was trying to formulate stronger points in regulating political campaigns in the media, particularly on television, which as of today still has the largest audience.
"We are currently discussing the matter with the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission [KPI] and the Elections Supervisory Committee [Bawaslu]. We want fair and proportional political campaigns in the media for the election," he said. AsiaOne.

While declaring that the Portia Simpson Miller-led administration would never resort to state censorship, minister with responsibility for information, Sandrea Falconer, has urged the media to establish their own self-regulatory body.
"I don't believe in any state regulation or censorship. I am against it and this Government is opposed to that. We will never go that route. The media must self regulate," stressed Falconer.
She was making her contribution to a debate in the Senate last Friday on proposed legislation to repeal the Defamation Act and the Libel and Slander Act. The Gleaner of Kingston, Jamaica.

Politicians take to social media

It is now a reality that Zimbabwe is headed for elections, and the techno-savvy among the country’s politicians have taken to social media as they explore new campaign strategies primarily targeted at young people who constitute the bulk of potential voters.
The country’s youths spend lots of time on the internet and social media: Facebook, Twitter and Blogger among others and these have become a target area for vote-hungry politicians.
Bulawayo East legislator David Coltart (MDC), who is very active on social media, recently opened a Facebook page titled David Coltart Campaign 2013 which provides information on the forthcoming elections, voter registration centres and his re-election campaign. By yesterday, the page had secured 479 likes.
Jessie Fungayi Majome
(MDC-T), Harare west legislator, runs a very active Facebook page, which goes by her name, through which she constantly interacts with residents in her constituency. News Day.

WATERGATE JOURNALIST: ‘THERE ARE ADMIRABLE ASPECTS’ TO SNOWDEN

On MSNBC’s Morning Joe Wednesday, journalist Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame offered up praise for Edward Snowden.
“We are seeing that there are admirable aspects to what he’s done,” Bernstein said. He later added, that Snowden “has finally caused a real debate in this country and abroad about the vacuum cleaning nature of our intelligence collection. It’s an overdue debate.”
Snowden is the American fugitive wanted by the federal government for leaking information about U.S. spying techniques to the news media. The Blaze.

Information M. implements special poll coverage plan

KUWAIT, July 6 (KUNA) -- Ministry of Information's electoral media committees have already begun implementing a scheduled broad plan for parliamentary elections due on July 27, said a ministry undersecretary on Saturday.
Electoral steering committee has already held meetings at level of assistant undersecretaries, discussing the ministry strategy to cover "this democratic event, affirming the state media capacity to cover such events," said Salah Al-Mubaraki, the ministry undersecretary and the chairman of the steering committee, in an interview with KUNA.
The higher commission has drawn up "a clear road-map upon directions of Minister of Information and Youth Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah who has put all the ministry technical and human resources at the disposal of performing this media mission with assistance of a group of skilled and trained young staff," Al-Mubaraki said. Kuwait News Agency.

Social Media Updates on Clashes in Cairo

Chaotic clashes broke out on Friday night between supporters and opponents of the ousted Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, in a riverside neighborhood of downtown Cairo near Tahrir Square, drawing thousands of people into the streets and shutting down a major bridge spanning the Nile.
The violence appeared to have started shortly after sunset, when a large Islamist march moved across downtown Cairo’s Sixth of October Bridge in the direction of Tahrir Square, where Mr. Morsi’s opponents held a large rally on Friday, according to a report by The Associated Press. The report said that 10 people were killed and 210 were injured in protests and clashes nationwide on Friday, but the actual toll of the clashes was not clear.
Ayman Mohyeldin, a correspondent for NBC News, posted a picture on Twitter of what he described as “thousands” of pro-Morsi protesters crossing Cairo’s Sixth of October Bridge at sunset, shortly before violence erupted in the area. New York Times blog.

John Cusack Has Had It up to Here With the Establishment Media

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In a call with reporters hosted by the Freedom of the Press Foundation on Tuesday, board member John Cusack expressed his umbrage with the media's "character assassination" of Edward Snowden and neglect of The Real Issues.
"Why are the red and blue elites in the establishment press so afraid of an informed public?" he asked rhetorically. "Why do they keep changing the subject?" "Have the establishment media been so co-opted by government access that they’ve lost all sense of proportionality?" Slate.

Dec 16 gangrape: Court takes up foreign media’s coverage plea

The Delhi High Court Friday issued notice to the city police on a plea of a group of foreign correspondents here seeking permission to cover the day-to-day trial of the Dec 16 gangrape case.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher, issuing notice to police, asked them to file their response by July 11.
Members of the Foreign Correspondents' Club had moved the court seeking review of the March 22 order that allowed the national print and electronic media to cover the trial. The foreign correspondents said that they were registered with the Indian government's Press Information of Bureau (PIB) and are reporting to various foreign media as responsible journalists. Business Standard.

Chinese government asks biz media to tone down coverage

Chinese propaganda authorities have told business media to tone down their reporting to help stabilize the country’s financial markets, reports Simon Rabinovitch of The Financial Times.
Rabinovitch writes, “Last week’s directive is an indication of the concerns in Beijing about the dislocation and growing panic in the country’s markets following the onset of the cash crunch. Talking Biz News.

Stricter rules sought as media moguls enter presidential race

Election organizers and the nation’s broadcast commission said they were now devising stricter regulations on media campaigns after at least two of the nation’s media tycoons had declared their bids to join the 2014 presidential race.
General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiyansyah said the commission was trying to formulate stronger points in regulating political campaigns in the media, particularly on television, which as of today still has the largest audience.
“We are currently discussing the matter with the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission [KPI] and the Elections Supervisory Committee [Bawaslu]. We want fair and proportional political campaigns in the media for the election,” he said. The Jakarta Post.

Newsmax says: Liberals Misunderstand Middle America

Terry Krepel, a Media Matters for America senior editor, has challenged a May 31, 2013, Newsmax commentary entitled “A Checkout-Line Town Hall” that reported on middle-America sentiments. He questioned the likelihood that such conservative comments would be coming from neighborhood shoppers.
His concern is understandable, since Media Matters for America is among the political-action groups funded in whole or in part by billionaire money-manipulator George Soros and other supporters of the Democrat Party’s liberal agenda. Krepel, via his ConWebWatch, serves as a media watchdog for the political left on guard against Conservative thought in print.
Although he found it difficult to believe that neighborhood shoppers would “just parrot” the author’s views,” voter polls regularly show Americans thinking like the checkout-line Town Hallers, who are reacting to Internal Revenue Service excesses that remain in the news. Newsmax.

Media Cheers Wendy Davis to Run for Governor

After touting a Texas legislator's "epic" pro-choice filibuster, the media have turned to hyping her future as a possible Democratic gubernatorial candidate in the state.
NewsBusters already documented the adulation that the media showed for Texas Democratic legislator Wendy Davis after she filibustered to stop a pro-life bill from passing the state senate last Wednesday. And after the initial hype over her filibuster passed, the networks and cable news began tossing out the idea of her running for Texas governor in 2014. NewsBusters.

British media ignores the brighter side of the internet

Oxford, UK, 5 July 2013 - The British media’s negative view of the internet is out of sync with the public’s positive opinion, according to research released today. Analysis of 1,000 media articles on internet topics found that over three quarters of coverage (76%) had a strong negative sentiment, in contrast with public opinion, where a national study of 5,000 people for Nominet found that 87% of Brits believe the internet has had a positive effect on their lives. The research marks the seventh annual Nominet Internet Awards ceremony, which last night recognised several British projects which help to make the internet a more secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for all.
Analysis of media coverage reveals that the three most common internet topics are cyber-bullying and trolling (appearing in 18% of articles), online fraud (14%) and online privacy (9%), while the three areas of Brits’ lives that the internet has had the biggest positive impact on are in managing our everyday life (98%), helping with our personal & social life (93%) and supporting with skills, knowledge & learning (86%). Source Wire.

Broadcast And Cable News’ One-Sided Social Security Debate

68 Percent Of Segments On Social Security Advocate Cutting Costs. Of the total 280 segments featuring substantial discussion of Social Security, 190 framed discussions around an apparent need to cut costs associated with the program. Only 38 total segments advocated strengthening the program or applying additional revenues. The remaining segments were framed around different issues, such as how immigration reform legislation and recent Supreme Court rulings on marriage equality would affect Social Security beneficiaries. Media Matters.

PARIS, July 4 (Reuters) - France's external intelligence agency spies on the French public's phone calls, emails and social media activity in France and abroad, the daily Le Monde said on Thursday.
It said the DGSE intercepted signals from computers and telephones in France, and between France and other countries, although not the content of phone calls, to create a map of "who is talking to whom". It said the activity was illegal.
"All of our communications are spied on," wrote Le Monde, which based its report on unnamed intelligence sources as well as remarks made publicly by intelligence officials. Huffington Post.

As state legislatures debate 300 new bills to further restrict women's constitutional right to legal and safe abortions, media should know that abortion is already restricted in the U.S. at unprecedented levels, that experts say it is medically unnecessary to require clinics to obtain hospital admitting privileges and adopt surgical center standards, and that limited access to abortions severely harms low-income women. Media Matters.

Social media use evolving in Egypt

There's no doubt that the citizenry relied greatly on social media to network and organize during the Arab Spring, when areas in the Middle East and North Africa erupted in popular revolt during the early part of 2011. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter were used to call and coordinate protests, and also for sharing information on issues around the pro-democracy movement.
Two and a half years later, unrest in the Arab world continues - and social media has become a mainstay in them. Activists continue to use it, but they aren't the only ones - powerful government personages and agencies are also tweeting up a storm. Meanwhile, technological extensions such as automatic translation tools are breaking down the language barrier and extending the potential reach of social media for social movements in general. Deutsche Welle

Media focuses more on personality traits of female politicians than males'; study reveals

A recent study concludes that the news coverage of female politicians focuses more on character traits and less on their policy arguments in comparison to their male counterparts.
The study from a special mini symposium in Political Research Quarterly (a SAGE Journal) finds female politicians are not given the same treatment as males in the media.
The authors of the study, Johanna Dunaway, Regina G. Lawrence, Melody Rose, and Christopher R. Weber stated, "There is a clear variation across political races in terms of the focus of news stories". Business Standard.

State media ‘sincerity’ questioned after it stops political advertising

The state media has announced that it has stopped any advertising for political parties until the formal conclusion of the candidate nomination process, a move that some observers say is ‘insincere’.
The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) said Wednesday that it would resume airing political ads after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) completes the nomination process. ZBC chief executive Happison Muchechetere said this was the reason the state broadcaster rejected an advert submitted by the MDC-T last week. In a letter to Tsvangirai dated June 28th, the ZBC indicated it was unable to run the MDC-T ad as it was not yet cleared by ZEC. SW Radio Africa.

White House Down

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Conservatives: Boycott White House Down

As Sony analyzes the disastrous box-office performance of White House Down, one interest group is celebrating the studio’s pain: conservative commentators who have been attacking the film as thinly disguised left-wing propaganda. Some, in fact, have been encouraging their audiences to boycott the movie, which stars Jamie Foxx as a liberal president under attack from pro-military types who object to the commander-in-chief’s plan to withdraw troops from the Middle East.
“If you spend one damn cent on this crap, you’re spitting on our troops,” wrote Kurt Schlichter at Townhall.com on Monday. “Repeat after me, conservatives: Not one damn cent.” The Hollywood Reporter.

Media An Important Agent In Forming Political Culture – Ahmad Shabery

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Bernama) -- The media is an important agent in forming good political culture in the country, said Communications and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.
He said in the post-election environment, the mainstream and alternative media must play a part nurturing the public and politicians to accept and respect the decision made by Malaysians.
"If there are quarters determined on being in power to the extent of misconduct, the media can help for it not to happen. National News Agency of Malaysia.

Media access to terror suspects’ B.C. apartment was illegal: group

John Nuttall and Amanda Korody

VANCOUVER -- RCMP investigators had barely finished sifting through the personal belongings of a British Columbia couple accused of planning a Canada Day terrorist attack when reporters, photographers and camera operators descended on the two-bedroom basement apartment near Vancouver, eager to get a look inside.
The suspects' landlords, who live on the main floor of the house in a residential area of Surrey, B.C., were all too ready to oblige, allowing a steady stream of journalists to document the messy squalor inside the suite.
John Nuttall and Amanda Korody were arrested on Canada Day and details of the plot were unveiled by the RCMP at a news conference the following day.

Reports: Military takes over Egyptian TV station as country braces for political showdown

It now appears the Egytpian military is in the process of seizing power from Mohammed Morsi.
The BBC is reporting that the military has taken over at least one Egyptian TV station.
Al Jazeera English correspondent Sherine Tadros says high level crisis discussions have been going on for hours amongst the military leaders who had threatened to depose President Morsi 48 hours ago. News Talk.

MP Walton Brown: Politicians & The ‘New Media’

New media channels allow for a proliferation of unlimited online comments which are not always factual, however also represent a significant democratic extension of people participation, PLP MP Walton Brown said.
Mr Brown was speaking at a presentation about the challenges and opportunities for Members of Parliament with the ‘new media’ at a recent seminar in Singapore. The 24th Commonwealth Parliamentary Seminar was held at the Singapore Parliament House from 27 May to 1 June 2013.
‘New Media’ was described having these characteristics: hosted online; provide the ability to consume, create and add to existing content; ideal places to connect/engage and provide an interactive and two-directional experience. One of the presenters said Parliamentarians should seek to understand new media as “the world is online.” Bernews.

Hong Kong journalists fear erosion of press freedom

Tens of thousands of Hong Kong's residents "celebrated" the 16th anniversary of the city's return to Chinese rule on Monday with a street protest that has become something of an annual rite.
The people are concerned about eroding freedoms and journalists are especially exercised by pressures on their own trade, fearing the implications of a privacy law that went into effect on 1 April.
Journalists could be jailed for up to five years, or be fined up to HK$1m (£85,000), if they reveal information that causes "psychological harm" or "loss." The Guardian.

Women worldwide know less about politics than men: Study

LONDON: Women living in the world's most advanced democracies and under the most progressive gender equality regimes still know less about politics than men, a 10-nation study claims.
An unmistakable gender gap in political knowledge seems to be a global phenomenon, according to the study of media systems and national political knowledge.
Women know less about politics than men regardless of how advanced a country is in terms of gender equality, said Professor James Curran, Director of the Goldsmiths Leverhulme Media Research Centre at University of London. The Economic Times.

Curbs on media coverage of ‘accountability’ panel’s work: Government

New Delhi: The government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that there would be curbs on publishing in media the proceedings of the proposed Accountability Commission to look into the allegations of "misbehaviour, incapacity, impropriety or irregularity" of CBI employees.
In a 41-page affidavit filed in the court's registry, the government said it would amend the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE Act) to create the commission which will have three whole-time members from among retired judges of the apex court or high courts. IBN Live.

Reporters Aren’t Drawing The Connection Between Climate Change And Wildfires

Climate change is a major contributing factor to wildfires, like the blaze in Arizona that killed 19 firefighters this week. But is that connection being made in news reports?
A new Media Matters report examined how frequently recent print and TV reports from major outlets--CNN, NBC, The New York Times, Washington Post, and others--mentioned climate change when they reported on wildfires. The answer: not very frequently. Between April and July, just 4 percent of TV reports and 9 percent of print reports mentioned climate change in their fire coverage. PopSci.

Criticism of Australia’s political journalists is routine enough. What is surprising is that many political journalists agree with some of the key complaints. Almost half of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery reporters and photographers who responded to a survey conducted by The Citizen said that coverage of federal politics was unfair.
The reasons were diverse, but many said the speed of reporting in the digital age had led to superficial reporting. Many also perceived an anti-government bias, and particular antipathy to the former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The Citizen.

Comic Bodden’s act takes on media, politics

Alonzo Bodden doesn't think you need to worry about the NSA.
"The government is not listening to your phone calls," the comedian said. "No one even follows you on Twitter. You wish somebody cared about what you have to say."
Government snooping is a hot topic, so Bodden knows the details. As a topical comedian, it's a job requirement.
Bodden, the winner of season three of NBC's "Last Comic Standing," will bring his observations to Wilmington this weekend for five shows at the Nutt Street Comedy Room. Star News.

BANGALORE: Narendra Modi has enlisted India's original dotcom poster boys Rajesh Jain and BG Mahesh to drive his social media campaign in the run-up to next year's general elections.
Jain, who famously sold IndiaWorld to Sify for Rs 499 crore triggering a dotcom rush in the late '90s, and Mahesh, who founded IndiaInfo and OneIndia, are putting together a 100-member content and technology team in Bangalore to drive Modi's internet campaign. The Economic Times.

Commercial TV ahead in political news but ABC trusted more

Commercial television news remains the most important source of political news for Australians, but the national broadcasters and newspapers are more trusted, polling by Essential Research reveals.
Word of mouth is also an important and highly trusted source of political information for voters, but young voters appear beyond the reach even of social media or online sources when it comes to politics.
From a sample size of just over 2000, Essential found 63% of voters say they get a lot or some of their information about politics and political issues from commercial television news and current affairs, just ahead of newspapers and online news sites (61%). Crikey.

Washington Post Defends Controversial Snowden Editorial

The Washington Post’s editorial page editor is defending a controversial editorial on Edward Snowden that maintains the NSA contractor who leaked government surveillance secrets should surrender and that his leaks should be plugged—without ever noting that the paper itself published the leaks.
Fred Hiatt, editorial page editor of the Post, didn’t respond to calls about the criticism, but, through a spokeswoman, answered questions via email. ADWEEK.

The Two Sides Of Fox’s Megyn Kelly

Fox News has announced that when dayside anchor Megyn Kelly returns from her upcoming maternity leave, she will be moving to the network's primetime lineup.
Fox's evening block is the most stable in cable news, with no new hosts since 2003, and Fox did not announce which host Kelly would be replacing. In May, The New York Times reported that Greta Van Susteren might move out of her 10 p.m. timeslot and be replaced by Kelly, and quoted Van Susteren's husband saying that she would be willing to move to a program earlier in the day.
Kelly has received praise -- including from Media Matters -- for the rare moments when she broke through Fox's conservative noise machine, particularly on women's rights issues. Her sharp questioning of Fox personalities Lou Dobbs and Erick Erickson over their sexist criticism of the finding that a record number of women are becoming their families' primary breadwinner and her confrontation with radio host Mike Gallagher over his claim that her maternity leave was "a racket" were riveting television that promoted progressive values.
But the balance of Kelly's tenure at Fox, during which she has anchored the 1 p.m. program America Live as well as the network's 2012 convention and election night coverage, has been marked by a steady drumbeat of conspiratorial scandalmongering. Media Matters.

How the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism won

Greg Downey, director of the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, “breathed a long sigh of relief” on Sunday when Gov. Scott Walker vetoed a provision of the biennial budget that would have prohibited collaboration between his department and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
It had been a stressful fight. Up until Walker's veto, he notes, WCIJ had lost every legislative battle "badly." And as I noted earlier, some supporters of the center believed it hadn't done enough traditional lobbying to make an impact.
On his blog, Downey lists 10 reasons he thinks the center prevailed in its fight against the measure. The Cap Times.

US puts protection of journalists in conflict on UN Security Council agenda

The United States is turning the U.N. Security Council’s spotlight on the protection of journalists in conflicts later this month.
Acting U.S. Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo, the council president for July, told reporters Tuesday that since members last considered the issue in 2006, “worldwide violence against journalists has worsened and there has been a particular increase in murders and imprisonment arising from conflict situations.” Washington Post.

Media Waits for Mandela to Die: Are They ‘Vultures?’

There's anger amidst the apprehension in South Africa as the numbers of "journalists" on the Mandela deathwatch grows. Members of his family have about had it, comparing what even the New York Times called a "media swarm" to African vultures that wait to pounce on the carcasses of dead animals.
President Obama was soon in South Africa, carrying a message that he hyped as one of "profound gratitude" to Nelson Mandela. The Times reported, "Mr. Obama said the main message he intended to deliver to Mr. Mandela, "if not directly to him but to his family, is simply our profound gratitude for his leadership all these years and that the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with him, and his family, and his country."
It doesn't seem as if the South Africa's grieving for their former president's imminent demise are too impressed with Obama seeking the spotlight. Some groups including top unions protested his receiving an honorary degree from a university in Johannesburg. Huffington Post.

Egyptians take to social media to make their voices heard

AS protesters in Egpyt give President Muhammed Morsi until tomorrow morning to step aside, the many voices calling for him to go in no uncertain terms are using the power of social media to make their voices heard. Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia).

Social media plays growing role in politics but is not decisive, scholar says

Social media can play a decisive role in other countries’ elections, and even in democratic movements, to overthrow a government. But after years of use in Macau, the city’s online social network has yet to develop the sophistication and strength to sway an election or the political system, according to a scholar of media politics. Macau Daily Times.

In this web-only interview, WikiLeaks spokesperson and Icelandic journalist Kristinn Hrafnsson discusses the significance of the Bradley Manning trial. The U.S. government is seeking to strengthen its case against Manning by presenting evidence that Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda used WikiLeaks as a propaganda tool. During the trial, prosecutors referred to a video produced by the American al-Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn. The video, released in June 2011, contained footage of an Apache helicopter attack on civilians in Baghdad put out by WikiLeaks under the title "Collateral Murder." Speaking in English, Gadahn exhorted al-Qaeda supporters to "take advantage of resources available on the Internet." Hrafnsson also responds to a report in Wired.com about how a WikiLeaks volunteer became a paid FBI informant. Democracy Now.

Sy Hersh to address investigative journalism summer school

Sy Hersh, the award-winning American investigative journalist, is to speak at the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) summer school on Saturday 13 July.
His talk, entitled Digging Deeper, will also be open to anyone willing to pay the £5 admission fee at the door of the lecture hall in City University London. It starts at 2 pm. The Guardian.

Amy Chozick to join New York Times’ political team

The New York Times announced today that Amy Chozick, who covers corporate media, will be joining the political team. She’ll focus on a specific beat: covering Hillary Clinton and the Clinton family. Poynter.

Journalists’ protection in question after Hawai‘i shield law expires

While President Barack Obama pledged to protect journalists’ integrity following a Justice Department scandal that included secretly obtaining journalists’ phone records and a personal email account, the Hawai‘i State Legislature let its own “shield law” expire on June 30 after it failed to agree on an amended version.
The effort to extend the journalistic protection ended to no avail after the Senate and House of Representatives did not reach an agreement on the compromised version of the bill H.B. 622 C.D.1, which removed the shield law privilege from nontraditional journalists, established stricter qualifications to be regarded as a journalist and made the law permanent. The Voice.

Obama’s contempt for the media doesn’t end at water’s edge

President Obama is well known for his disdain for the media. His administration has gone after Fox News, undertaken unprecedented snooping on journalists and regularly expresses contempt for their efforts. Even when traveling overseas he can’t seem to get over it.
During an Africa trip that has generally gone well (aside from the real question as to what he is doing there in the first place given the bevy of domestic and foreign crises), Obama strangely decides time and time again to insult U.S. media. Washington Post.

An Online Upstart Roils French Media, Politics

Every week, it seems, a new scandal is unearthed by the upstart, online newspaper Mediapart. The most recent bomb was that President Francois Hollande's budget minister was evading taxes when he was supposed to be cracking down on tax cheats. After vehemently denying the allegations, in the face of overwhelming evidence, Jerome Cahuzac was forced to resign.
Hollande issued an embarrassing national apology while Mediapart kept racking up new subscribers. In its five-year existence, the site has unveiled stories about tax evasion, illegal campaign financing and shady business dealings between government officials and French tycoons. Parallels

Howard Kurtz right at home at anti-gay Fox News

Howard Kurtz, who fancies himself a leading media critic, ended his CNN run and will now move to Fox News. His final edition of “Reliable Sources” featured predictable and telling praise for Fox’s “call for balance” in covering last week’s Supreme Court rulings on marriage.
As noted by Media Matters, Kurtz said when ”the Supreme Court issued a pair of rulings boosting same-sex marriage, the only real question was how far the media would go in treating it as a victory.” He also questioned whether journalists are “being fair to the other side of this emotional debate.”
Then came the praise for his new masters at Fox, where “there were few outright denunciations of the rulings, but there was a call for balance.” Washington Blade.

When the Journalism Gets Real, Media Criticism Get Fake

The easiest way to respond to bad news about you is to dismiss its writer as a fraud and condemn him or her to a new category called fake journalism. To see the latest example of this defense mechanism, look no further than Bryan Goldberg, a co-founder of the Bleacher Report, who has written a screed against "'real journalism'" (the sarcastic quotation marks are Goldberg's). Inspired by Napster founder Sean Parker's 9,500 word essay, which also falls in this hating-on-journalists genre, Goldberg has chimed in not just to defend Parker, who he calls " a person who fundamentally changed the world," but to save himself. The Atlantic Wire.

Media Offer Scant Coverage In The Face of Student Loan Deadline

In the weeks leading up to an automatic doubling of federal student loan interest rates, broadcast and cable nightly and weekend news devoted little time explaining the effects of the rate hike and the expiration of other programs designed to help American students, graduates and families with increasingly high education costs.
In 2007, Congress passed a law to reduce interest rates on federal subsidized student loans, the Stafford Loan program, to 3.4 percent. The law was intended to reduce college costs and increase access to higher education. The Budget Control Act of 2011 ended several provisions of previous law; foremost setting an expiration date of July 1, 2013, for Stafford Loan interest rates. Today, those rates automatically double to their previous 6.8 percent. Media Matters.

Mainstream news media must not adopt political ideology

In a recent interview, CBS-TV's Scott Pelley, whose evening news audience has grown some since he became anchor, expressed the opinion that CBS News is a brand that people trust, and that they do so because, unlike the cable news channels, his network has "to represent everybody's views."
Two days after Pelley's interview, the Gallup organization released the results of a poll about American's confidence in newspaper and TV news. Among the major findings: Overall confidence in TV news, which was at 46% in 1993, is now 23%; conservatives' confidence is 18%, the lowest on record; and Republicans' is 16%. (These numbers contrast with the opinions of liberals and Democrats, whose confidence in TV news is 26% and 34%, respectively. The Talk of the Town.

Committing acts of journalism

It was an interesting week for students of the journalism game. You can probably say that, though, about most weeks in these quarters, as there seems to be endless examples of how we got to where we are and what the hell we’re going to do – or not do – about it.
On the one hand, you had the Anglo tapes, the Irish Indepedent’s scoop involving recordings of a bunch of Anglo Irish Bank rogues singing, dancing and acting the gom. On the other hand, you had Sean Parker’s lengthy screed about press coverage of his wedding as he called shenanigans on current media methods and modes. And there are some fascinating details about how the media now operates to be extrapolated between these very different swings and roundabouts. The Irish Times.

Investigative journalism center starts fund drive

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The head of the Center for Investigative Journalism in Wisconsin says he is grateful to Republican Gov. Scott Walker for vetoing a provision in the state budget that would have kicked the center off the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
Republican lawmakers placed the provision in the state budget, but the Republican governor says he thinks the center's relationship with the university is an issue for the UW System's Board of Regents.
Andy Hall is the center's executive director. He said Sunday the center is celebrating the governor's veto at the same time it kicks off a fundraising drive to help pay for its work.
The center is a nonpartisan investigative news organization that offers its stories free to mainstream media outlets. It occupies two offices in the university's journalism school. San Francisco Chronicle.

Conservative Media Think They Know More About Abortion Safety Than Texas Doctors

Associations representing the OB/GYNs and hospitals of Texas say that a Texas bill mandating new restrictions on on doctors and clinics that provide abortions does nothing to improve women's health care and has no medical basis, but conservative media figures are ignoring that medical opinion to claim the bill is needed to protect the health of women seeking abortions. Media Matters.

Social Media Summit attracts masterminds of world’s best e-Campaigns

The role of governments in social media has been thrust back into the limelight following the ongoing global revelations about the interaction between Facebook and governments, which have ignited public debate. The social networking giant's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, recently issued a public statement reassuring users that their privacy would not be compromised in any 'data requests' from the authorities.
This global online debate coincides with the build-up to the region's leading social media platform that is specifically geared for governments: the 2013 edition of the GCC Government Social Media Summit. This will be held from 2-3 September, with an introductory masterclass on September 1st, at the Ritz-Carlton, DIFC in Dubai. AMEinfo.com.

Gov. Walker Gets Media/PR freebie

Gov. Walker says he will veto a budget amendment crafted by ham-handed GOP members of the Joint Finance Committee that would have kicked the non-profit Center for Investigative Journalism out of its UW-Madison campus office space and obstructed its relationships with Journalism school faculty. Leaving the measure in the budget would have stamped the state, and Walker, by extension, as hostile to news gathering and academic freedom. The Political Environment

GOP ‘At Odds’ With Public On Gay Marriage

With last week’s landmark Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage, there is a lot of momentum now for legalization in all fifty states. On Fox News Sunday today, conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin said that the Republican party’s steadfast opposition puts them at odds with most of the American people, while Juan Williams declared that “the game is over” and this has been settled. Mediaite.

#Politicking helps engage voters

AHMEDABAD: Recently, former Union minister Ajay Maken started a topic #failureModi on Twitter and it was trending in less than 15 minutes. In reply, Modi's cyber warriors started another campaign #saluteModi, which too was a hit. This is just a glimpse of how politicians use social media platforms to interact with voters and build a positive image of themselves. The Times of India.

No intel probe into social media in Turkey: Report

A senior authority from the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) has said no data has been collected from social media, in response to the recent allegations of illegal recordings.
Speaking to daily Habertürk, the MİT officer said they were recently on the agenda for the claims of illegal recordings because the institution had conducted a number of successful intelligence works nationally and internationally. He added that that "unrealistic claims" were used to create a "false impression" of MİT. Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey).

Moving Politics Online: How Australian Mainstream Media Portray Social Media as Political Tools

Difficult as it may be to believe, we’re still almost three months out from the likely date of the next Australian federal election; campaigning during this time will become even more frenzied than it has been to date. A sea of speculation, controversy, and crisis surrounds the polls, and an increasing subset of the political battle is being fought online, through party Websites and social media. This is beginning to affect the balance of power in the overall media ecology: while mainstream media have historically played an important role in political campaigning and in shaping public opinions, online and social media now contribute new communicative ingredients to the public sphere.
While much attention has already been paid to the way that social media users critique and criticise the mainstream media, the opposite is less true. Conventional print and broadcast media have been instrumental in raising awareness about the political uses of social media platforms, and in doing so reflect contemporary views; so, what is the portrayal of social media in the media? The Conversation.

Media has no real friends

Although the recent government siege of the Red Pepper and Daily Monitor caused a lot of uproar, I would like to argue that it was not an unusual climax to the age-old sizing-up between the state and the media.
Shortly before these events, as part of the activities marking World Press Freedom day, senior journalists Bernard Tabaire and Ssemujja Nganda (MP Kyaddondo East) wrote articles in a bid to unearth and expose the problem of media stagnation in Uganda.
Ssemujju concluded that the harassment of journalists by security personnel had become routine and blamed this on complacency by today’s crop of professionals who don’t exhibit the valour of earlier generations that stood up to the powers. He also blamed affinity to inducements from interested parties. The Observer.

Cambodia bans foreign media content on local radio

Cambodia has banned local radio stations from broadcasting content from foreign media in the run-up to a general election next month and told them to stop carrying reports on foreigners playing any role in the campaign.
Prime Minister Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving leaders, has total control of local television and most radio stations, and his Cambodian People's Party is expected to win the July 28 election. South China Morning Post.

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ABC and NBC on Thursday night and Friday morning ignored an announcement by the Internal Revenue Service inspector general that liberal organizations were not forced to endure the same invasive investigations as conservative, Tea Party groups. Only CBS This Morning covered the development. This contradicted earlier claims by the IRS.
This Morning co-anchor Norah O'Donnell explained, "The IRS said this week that conservative and progressive groups were both given extra scrutiny." Reporter Anthony Mason added, "But a Treasury Department official said yesterday he found fewer liberal groups were targeted." According to O'Donnell, this was an example of conservatives "lashing out" at the IRS. Media Research Center.

Media chief: National papers may quit Ulster

British newspapers may stop circulating in Northern Ireland if the DUP’s veto of a free speech law is not overturned, a senior national media figure has told the House of Lords.
Lord Black, executive director of Telegraph Media Group which publishes the Daily Telegraph, warned that Finance Minister Sammy Wilson’s decision could lead to Northern Ireland becoming an international “pariah” for media companies looking to invest.
Speaking in the Lords on Thursday night during a debate on Mr Wilson’s veto of Westminster’s Defamation Act, Lord Black said: “If Northern Ireland clings to the existing law, editors will have to either edit each edition for Northern Ireland separately, in the process sanitising the news and subjecting copy to different legal scrutiny –something I think unlikely to happen – or withdraw their papers from sale, with the profound consequences of that for media plurality.
“The UK’s publishers will have to confront that issue if there is no change of heart at Stormont.”
He added: “The Executive’s decision to cling to legislation from a world which has disappeared makes King Canute look perfectly reasonable.” Northern Ireland News Letter.

U.S. Park Police Lost Thousands of Guns; Will the Media Report?

Ever since the Newtown mass shooting, the liberal media have pushed for a fresh round of federal gun control, insisting that such measures are needed to keep guns from falling into the wrong hands, even though the efficacy of such measures is doubtful. But what about guns potentially falling into the wrong hands thanks to the malfeasance or incompetence of government officials? Shouldn't the media highlight those instances and call the government to account for them?
Well, the Washington Post reported in Friday's newspaper that the "U.S. Park Police has lost track of thousands of handguns, rifles and machine guns in what a government watchdog agency concluded is the latest example of mismanagement on a police force trusted to protect millions of visitors to the city's iconic monuments." Even so, it appears the broadcast networks have thus far ignored the story. NewsBusters.

Obama to US media: ‘Behave’

One element of President Barack Obama's Africa policy is to encourage a free press, although he offered repeated reminders for US reporters travelling with him on the continent to be on their best behaviour.
"Americans, behave yourselves," he needled today as a contingent of US and South African media was pulled from a quick photo op with President Jacob Zuma.
Obama spoke just before their joint news conference and may have been trying to suggest his press corps keep its questions tight. Business Standard.

WikiLeaks says there are no tensions between Julian Assange and Ecuadorean government as it responded to media reports claiming Assange’s role in Edward Snowden’s case "has raised hackles" among Ecuadorean officials.
“The story is spun to be about tensions that don't exist,” WikiLeaks posted on its Twitter account in response to the article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal on Friday. “Hacked/intercepted emails in relation to an NSA spying story. Talk about missing the obvious,” the tweet read. Question More.

Opinion | The path to re-election is paved with social media

With local elections coming up in six months, mayors should have their media strategies in place and be leading their election campaigns from every platform available. This is far from the case. According to new figures, just under every fourth mayor does not have a Facebook profile. And for the vast majority, Twitter is beyond their conception. A meagre ten percent use this increasingly crucial platform to communicate with voters.
While Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen (Socialdemokraterne) regularly suggests political initiatives and introduces initiatives on Facebook, the opposite is the case on Twitter. Here, he wrote his most recent tweet in 2011, despite having more than 1,000 followers and potential voters. Even less visible on Twitter is the mayor of Høje-Taastrup and chief negotiator for the national association of local councils (KL) during the teachers’ conflict, Michael Ziegler (Konservative). He wrote his first and only tweet back in April. The most active mayor on Twitter is Aarhus Mayor Jacob Bundesgaard (Socialdemokraterne). But he is the exception that proves the rule: mayors have yet to take social media to heart. The Copenhagen Post.

President puts media ethics in hands of journalists

Last Friday was an important day for the cause of Media Freedom. President Mahinda Rajapaksa defused a situation that was obviously leading to a major blow up involving the government and the media. He must have surprised the politicians and officials who were present at the meeting with editors of the print and electronic media, when he said the drawing up of a code of ethics for the media was a matter for journalists.
President Rajapaksa must have remembered the support he extended to those who campaigned hard for media freedom during the later years of the UNP administration from the late 1980s. He could not have forgotten his close association, playing a key role, in the Mothers’ Front led by Dr (Mrs.) Manorani Saravanamuttu, after the killing of Richard de Zoysa, and so many other journalists.
He must also have remembered the Code of Media Ethics prepared by the Ministry of Information a few years ago, which he did not think was suitably drawn to address the needs of the media and journalists, and has since been put aside never to be looked at again. Daily News of Sri Lanka

Lebanese army threatens media that depict Hezbollah in Sidon battle

BEIRUT -- Amid a brewing controversy over the participation of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah in a Lebanese army operation against a radical Sunni cleric, army officials said Friday that they were considering filing judicial charges against news outlets that broadcast footage that appeared to confirm the group’s role.
The threat came even as the army came under fire from human rights advocates and Sunni political figures after amateur video surfaced that appeared to show soldiers beating an unarmed detainee. The army also is being accused in the death of another detainee, who was being questioned after his arrest during the two-day siege of a mosque complex occupied by followers of Sheikh Ahmad al Assir. Miami Herald.

For foreign journalists working in Turkey is threatening. Reporters are abused, threatened, beaten, chased out of the country. The Erdogan government is fueling the mood with targeted campaigns.
So be conservative filmmakers put the insurgency against the Turkish government to: A mob coat unsuspecting policemen, a woman with a headscarf is the victim of vandalism – triumph foreign provocateurs. The Turkish TV Samanyolu has transformed the revolt in Turkey in a soap opera. National Turk.

Where the Journalism Jobs Are

Michael Mandel offers a great illustration of the continued relevance of location in the Internet age, showing that help-wanted ads for news analysts, reporters, and correspondents are highly concentrated in a handful of metropolitan areas.
It's worth relativizing this to population, since the New York metro area is really big and tends to dominate statistical aggregates simply because of sheer scale. According to the 2010 Census, greater New York contains about 6.3 percent of the American population—No. 1, but far lower than the 15.5 percent of journalism job opportunities. Los Angeles has 4.1 percent of the population, so that's also a disproportionate amount of journalism opportunities but less so than New York. D.C., by contrast, has only 1.8 percent of the total population in its metropolitan area but apparently 5.5 percent of the journalism jobs. So there are more aggregate opportunities in New York or L.A., but the journalism industry is a bigger share of the Washington economic pie. Slate.

Is Keith Ablow Violating Fox’s Policy Against Product Endorsements?

Fox News contributor Keith Ablow is serving as a "spokesperson" and infomercial host for a diet company called GOLO. Fox said in 2009 that the network "prohibits any on-air talent from endorsing products or serving as a product spokesperson."
Ablow is "a psychiatrist and member of the Fox News Medical A-Team." Though he purports to offer sound medical advice, Ablow's Fox News appearances often devolve into cheap political smears and "pop-psychology nonsense." Ablow once blamed the rise of birthers on President Barack Obama supposedly "sever[ing] himself from all core emotion." He claimed that Vice President Joe Biden may be suffering from dementia. And Ablow was named Media Matters' 2011 Misinformer of the Year on LGBT Issues for regularly launching anti-LGBT attacks that, in the words of an American Psychiatric Association fellow, "have little basis in current clinical practices." Earlier this year, Ablow decided against running for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts as a Republican. Media Matters.

Media asked to leave Mandela hospital Park Street entrance

A day after Nelson Mandela’s daughter lashed out at the “crass” media frenzy around her ailing father, South African police today asked journalists to leave the road outside the entrance to the Pretoria hospital, where the global peace icon remains on life support.
Reporters were given an hour to remove their cars from the road outside the Park Street entrance to the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital, where the 94-year-old former President was admitted 21 days ago.
Celliers Street, where the hospital’s exit is, has already been cordoned off to traffic. The Hindu.

Fox News, Home Of Benghazi Myths, To Air One-Hour Special On Benghazi

Fox To Air "The Latest Investigation" Into The Benghazi Attacks. According to Fox News' official blog, Fox News host Bret Baier will air a one-hour special on June 28 titled Benghazi: The Truth Behind The Smokescreen. According to the post, the show "will provide a comprehensive look at all of the new developments in the story, including the fact that just last week, four more subpoenas were issued for officials at the State Department." Media Matters.

Why the battle between YouTube and TV matters to brands

A few years ago a battleground was mooted between YouTube and TV, a war fought with the ultimate ambition of winning, engaging and retaining an audience. Cenk Uyhur, host of internet talk radio show The Young Turks, believed that YouTube would eventually steamroll TV, however TV was generally reviewed as the winner – a superpower that would take some shifting. The Guardian.

Twitter explodes with death threats against George Zimmerman, white people

On Thursday, Twitchy reported that the social media site Twitter has exploded with death threats against George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer on trial for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Twitchy said that several also threatened to kill random white people if Zimmerman is not found guilty. Examiner.

This Week Mainstream Media Debated the Meaning of Journalism

The Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald is a traitor and should be arrested. Glenn Greenwald is a hero and a practicing journalist. That’s the debate in mainstream media that’s overshadowing the news that the NSA reads our emails.
Oddly, Greenwald has become the center of the Edward Snowden story for simply reporting the Edward Snowden story. When Matt Drudge broke the news of the Monica Lewinksy affair, his outlet, The Drudge Report, suddenly mattered and a decent and popular president was threatened with impeachment. But there was never a witch hunt against Drudge. His stock only skyrocketed. Big Think.

Contentions Media Clings to Disproven Narrative; Hilarity Ensues

As elated as mainstream journalists were when Chief Justice John Roberts decided to cave to political pressure and uphold ObamaCare, it posed a challenge to the left. They had become so invested in their narrative of the illegitimacy of conservative constitutional jurisprudence, they may have even believed it. As the Supreme Court signaled it was considering striking down the constitutionally suspect ObamaCare, liberals ramped up the rhetoric. Commentary.

Why I Believe in Journalism

It's 6 a.m., the sun is softly shining and the sea is smooth and thick like olive oil. The only scent in the air is that of my father's first morning cigarette, as he wakes up. His first reflex: reaching for his nearby cigarette. His second: enjoying the unique silence that Greece's Cycladic island of Paros offers. A perfect time to brainstorm, to think, to analyze, but most of all, to write.
As a journalist passionate about his profession, my father could not help but constantly sharing the inexplicable and intense relationship he had with words, phrases, concepts, as well as people's stories, and world's history and cultures. As my reality as a child was tinted with the diverse color palette of journalism, including interviews, press releases, reportages, and investigations, I decided to take the same career path. Huffington Post: Media.

Making politics and policy news sexy

On Tuesday night, as the Texas state senate entered the final hours of a legislative special session and Sen. Wendy Davis filibustered a draconian abortion bill, 180,000 people watched it all on a dramatic livestream provided by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Texas Tribune. Yesterday I called up Evan Smith, editor in chief and CEO of the four-year-old news organization, to ask about their big night and for some #realtalk about how they make nonpartisan political media sexy to news consumers. #realtalk

In Press Briefing, Reporters Don’t Ask Obama a Single Question About Scandals

During his flight to Africa aboard Air Force One, President Obama headed to the part of the plane where the travelling press corps was seated and held an impromptu news briefing.
Despite the many scandals currently swirling around the administration including NSA spying and lying, Benghazi lying, and the revelation that the IRS's political attacks on conservative groups was even more widespread than originally thought, the left-leaning journalists did not ask Obama a single tough question. News Busters.

War On Journalism: Establishment Media Accuses Greenwald of Treason for Reporting On Snowden

On Sunday, NBC Meet the Press anchor David Gregory said investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald “aided and abetted” former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden and asked why he shouldn’t be charged with a crime.
“To the extent that you have aided and abetted Snowden, even in his current movements, why shouldn’t you, Mr. Greenwald, be charged with a crime?” Gregory asked.
“If you want to embrace that theory, it means that every investigative journalist in the United States who works with their sources, who receives classified information is a criminal, and it’s precisely those theories and precisely that climate that has become so menacing in the United States,” said Greenwald, a former constitutional attorney. InfoWars.

SCOTUS rulings on DOMA, Civil Rights show that Twitter moves politics only so far

OK, so some might say my rosy take on Twitter’s power to accelerate social change went a little too far.
Some, like Sherry Turkle, for instance. She’s the author of “Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other,” and an MIT professor who has been studying the role of technology in our lives for decades. She didn’t entirely disagree with my premise that Twitter can fuel social change on divisive issues, like same-sex marriage.
But she said my example – the transformation of public opinion on gay marriage — was only one example from the U.S. Supreme Court’s flurry of decisions this week.
Turkle pointed to the court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act and asked: Where was the power of Twitter in that case? Silicon Beat.

No Benghazi “Stand Down” Order Was Given: Another Fox Narrative Falls Apart

A claim pushed dozens of times by Fox News that security forces were ordered to "stand down" during the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attacks on a U.S. diplomatic facility collapsed after the commander of those security forces testified that he received no such order.
More than a month after the attacks in Benghazi killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, Fox began airing accusations that security forces present in Libya at the time were ordered to "stand down" by the Obama administration. Fox's confused coverage over the months claimed that both a reaction force that was dispatched to Benghazi and suffered two casualties while trying to defend the facility, and a group of four special forces troops in Tripoli received "stand down" orders. This accusation was given new fuel after former Deputy Chief of Mission Gregory Hicks May 8 remarks made before a congressional committee appeared to confirm claims that Lt. Col. Gibson, who commanded a small team of special forces troops in Tripoli, was ordered to "stand down." Fox baselessly speculated that either President Obama or then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave the alleged order. Media Matters.

Daughter says Mandela ‘still there’, raps media ‘vultures’

Nelson Mandela's eldest daughter lambasted foreign media "vultures" for violating her father's privacy as he lay critically ill in hospital, and said the former South African president was still clinging to life on Thursday.
Makaziwe Mandela's outburst came as anxiety increased over the faltering health of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero, admired across the world as a symbol of resistance against injustice and oppression and then of racial reconciliation. Reuters.

Rick Perry Co-Stars In Texas Political Drama

An irony of the recent Texas political theater: Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis' filibuster aimed at stopping anti-abortion legislation raised not only her profile but that of Republican Gov. Rick Perry.
Shortly after Davis' talkathon ran out the clock on a bill that would potentially have made abortions much harder for women in Texas to obtain after 20 weeks of pregnancy, Perry put himself back in the national headlines. Wyoming Public Media.

Fox News radio host Todd Starnes used a story about a soldier disobeying lawful orders to falsely claim that the military is persecuting Christian service members for their beliefs, continuing his misguided campaign against nonexistent “culture wars.”
Master Sgt. Nathan Sommers was charged and found guilty of three Article 15 charges after he disobeyed lawful orders by making political statements while in uniform. Sommers was counseled on separate occasions for bumper stickers and tweets that attacked President Obama and reading political literature while in uniform. Starnes used the case to claim that the military is prosecuting service members for their religious beliefs in an article titled, ”Army Reprimands Soldier Under Fire for Religious Beliefs.” Starnes then used his platform to allow Sommers’ lawyer John Bennett Wells and Family Research Council’s Jerry Boykin to push the same deceptive claim. Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

Border or Bust: Investigative Journalists Get Serious With New Media

Social media isn’t just for tweeting fillibusters or tracking fugitives — some outlets use new media as their main reporting strategy and to brand their beats.
This story about journalists reporting on the Mexican drug war shows that social media provides not just a great outlet for curating reports but also a shield from the threats that surround breaking news on dangerous people. Instead of going down the rabbit hole of bloggers versus ‘journalist,’ I find it rather inspiring. In the wake of all of the news surrounding sources, leaks, and the reporters that handle them, it’s been a rather good season for serious, investigative reporting. 10,000 Words.

World War Z’: Story Ideas for Student Journalists

In the latest summer blockbuster “World War Z,” Brad Pitt simultaneously runs from and fights off zombies, globe-trots and tries to solve a world health crisis. And, of course, he also attempts to check in with his wife and kids by satellite phone at least once a day.
According to critics, as a star-vehicle popcorn flick, “World War Z” is fun to watch. But beyond sheer entertainment, it can be also be screened for story ideas.
Along with thousands of zombie extras, the film features plenty of plot points, full scenes and major and minor characters that can be viewed as triggers for student media story ideas. College Media Matters.

NSA collected US email records in bulk for more than two years under Obama

The Obama administration for more than two years permitted the National Security Agency to continue collecting vast amounts of records detailing the email and internet usage of Americans, according to secret documents obtained by the Guardian.
The documents indicate that under the program, launched in 2001, a federal judge sitting on the secret surveillance panel called the Fisa court would approve a bulk collection order for internet metadata "every 90 days". A senior administration official confirmed the program, stating that it ended in 2011.
The collection of these records began under the Bush administration's wide-ranging warrantless surveillance program, collectively known by the NSA codename Stellar Wind. The Guardian.

The South doesn’t need to rise again. It has the evening news shows for that.
Tuesday, the Supreme Court struck down as key part of the Voting Rights Act and the broadcast networks took us back in time to the civil rights era 37 separate times.
ABC, CBS and NBC underscored their support for the law by filling their broadcasts with images straight out of Jim Crow. Pictures of police dogs attacking protesters, police officers beating and arresting African-Americans filled the screens in photograph or video. Fox News.

Glenn Beck Defends Paula Deen |

Conservative commentator Glenn Beck ran to the defense of celebrity chef Paula Deen's right to use racial slurs without fear of being fired from her lucrative deals with the Food Network, QVC, and others. Deen came under fire after she admitted to using the racial slur on several occasions. Beck claimed her critics were engaging in "McCarthyism" and described Deen's words as "violations of political correctness, nothing more."
Deen is being sued by Lisa T. Jackson, a manager at Deen's restaurants in Georgia, over allegations of sexual and racial harassment. A deposition from the proceedings revealed that Deen repeatedly used racial slurs and other offensive language. From The Daily Beast. Media Matters.

The Texas Tribune shows why non-profit online journalism matters

The Texas Tribune showed late Tuesday night and very early Wednesday morning how an online non-profit news organization can drive coverage of a story and leave legacy media to talk, literally, about muffins.
During one of the most climatic moments in Texas political history, The Texas Tribune owned the story, buoyed by its live YouTube stream of the Texas Senate in a tense countdown to the midnight end of a special session that included a 10-hour filibuster by new social media darling Sen. Wendy Davis and the debate about a controversial abortion bill.
More than 180,000 people were watching the live stream, taken from the Senate feed, when raucous pro-choice supporters verbally overcame senators as the session came to a close and Tuesday turned to Wednesday.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the measure passed. What was clear, and made apparent in many congratulatory tweets, was that The Texas Tribune won by producing compelling public-interest journalism.
The coverage was riveting and a lot of people were watching. Online Journalism Review.

An obscure unit within London's Metropolitan Police Service has been monitoring and keeping records on almost 9,000 political campaigners and activists using social media surveillance and other methods. A freedom of information request filed by the The Guardian reveals that the National Domestic Extremism Unit (NDEU) stores dossiers on 8,931 individuals labeled as "domestic extremists," many of which do not have any criminal record, according to a senior officer familiar with the unit's operations.
The NDEU has been monitoring the campaigners with a 24/7, 17-person social media surveillance team, which uses a technique called "Socmint" (Social Media Intelligence). The technique scrapes and analyzes Facebook profiles, Tweets, and other public data, using geolocation tracking and "sentiment analysis" tools to predict future crimes by determining targets' moods. The unit uses the strategy, along with undercover agents and paid informants, to monitor a wide range of individuals spanning the political spectrum, from the far-right English Defense League to animal rights advocates and anti-war protestors. The Verge.

CNN to Revive ‘Crossfire,’ Home for Political Clamor

“Crossfire,” the forerunner to so many television debates and shouting matches, is coming back to CNN, the cable news channel announced on Wednesday.
The format will be the same as it was in the 1980s and ’90s — two hosts each day, one from a liberal perspective and the other from a conservative perspective. But the stable of political pundits exchanging verbal fire will be new. The New York Times.

Social media users happy with gay-marriage rulings

Twitter and Facebook crackled Wednesday with jubilant reaction to the Supreme Court decisions knocking down the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8.
From elected officials to ordinary Americans across the country, people used social media to hail the decision, declare they were headed out to celebrate with others and announce places and times of celebrations.
Many described outdoor celebrations, signs and horn-honking in the Castro, a San Francisco neighborhood with a large gay population. One Facebook page announced a gathering Wednesday evening at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, the gay bar famous for riots in 1969 when customers protested police harassment. "Party!" posted James Sedlock when he sent his RSVP. "I have my red dress all picked out. Can't wait!" Linda Fingerson posted. USA Today.

Social Media Makes Texas Politics a National Affair

State Sen. Wendy Davis holds up two fingers against the anti-abortion bill SB5, which was up for a vote on the last day of the legislative special session in Austin, Texas. Photo by Erich Schlegel/Getty Images.
Last night, @heatherr_parker was one of many Twitter users upset at how Texas State Senator Wendy Davis' marathon filibuster was progressing. The rules governing the process mandate that a senator remain standing and stay on topic. So when Republicans and Democrats began arguing over whether or not Davis violated the regulations, Twitter user Heather Parker began digging.
Finding the rule online, Parker, a D.C.-based attorney and reproductive health activist who followed the filibuster via livestream, scoured rule 4.03 of the Senate Rules and discovered something she thought could help Davis. She tweeted it out, hoping someone might see. It was quickly retweeted and retweeted, until there were over 400 retweets.
.@WendyDavisTexas PLEASE look at this part of the rule book! http://t.co/wrRb108Vj3 You need three warnings on GERMANENESS! #SB5 #TXlege
— Heather Parker (@heatherr_parker) June 26, 2013
Parker was one of thousands across the country following Davis' nearly 11-hour filibuster that sought to block a bill that would ban abortions in Texas past 20 weeks of pregnancy and require abortion clinics to become licensed as ambulatory surgery centers. Tools like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube expanded the debate outside the Senate Chamber, allowing people to not only watch the proceedings but also to participate. It demonstrated the growing power and speed of technology and how it could even impact the political process. NetNebraska/NPR.

HARPER: Media misreporting rampant in Trayvon Martin case

A combination of pressure through social media and poor journalism led to the trial of George Zimmerman, who is accused of second-degree murder in last year’s shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Immediately after the shooting in Sanford, Fla., which is 20 miles northeast of Orlando, the media described Mr. Zimmerman as white, setting up the racially divisive meme of a white man killing a black teenager — a characterization that proved to be wrong.
A columnist for The New York Times described “the burden of black boys in America and the people that love them: running the risk of being descended upon in the dark and caught in the cross-hairs of someone who crosses the line.”
The media then described Mr. Zimmerman as a “white Hispanic” after it was revealed that his father is white and his mother comes from Peru. Even now, many media outlets use this description: “Zimmerman, who identifies himself as Hispanic.” The Washington Times.

The media break up with Carney and Obama

I contacted half a dozen journalists from major news outlets, none of them conservative. I didn’t find anyone who admires Carney. Washington Post.

Fox News Spent One Minute Covering Marriage Equality In Three States

Fox News spent one minute covering the historic legalization of same-sex marriage in Rhode Island, Delaware, and Minnesota over the past several weeks. According to an Equality Matters analysis, the network completely ignored the passage of marriage equality legislation in Delaware and made only passing mentions of Rhode Island and Minnesota's new marriage laws. Media Matters.

The Alamedan’s $20,000 Challenge: The state of nonprofit news

Earlier this month, the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism released a study on the economic health of nonprofit news outlets, which the folks at Pew deemed a “growing but fragile” part of the nation’s news system. In their survey of 172 nonprofit news organizations – including The Alamedan – Pew’s researchers found that most were optimistic about the future, despite facing substantial challenges to their economic well-being.
More than half of the 93 organizations that completed a detailed survey said they needed more staff to handle business, fundraising and marketing, while nearly two-thirds said finding time to attend to those tasks was a major challenge. Some 61 percent of the organizations said they got started with the aid of a major grant, grants most don’t expect will be renewed when the money runs out. The Alamedan.

The other IRS target: the press

Conservatives are howling about the IRS targeting Tea Party groups applying for nonprofit tax exemptions. Well, welcome to our world. Nonprofit journalism has been going through the same thing for the last few years, with almost none of the screeching—even though journalism organizations had a much better case for tax exemptions than did the Tea Party groups.
Columbia Journalism Review

How the IRS Is Killing Nonprofit Media

Outrage over the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of Tea Party and other right-wing groups continues to boil -- yet a potentially more consequential IRS practice has scarcely gained any attention. Over the past few years the IRS has virtually stopped approving 501(c)(3) status for nonprofit news organizations. Huffington Post

Media Matters Planning Split From Advocacy Project

Media Matters Action Network, the lobbying portion of Media Matters, came under fire for releasing a series of talking points that seemed to defend the DOJ's secret probe into AP phone records. Brock told the Washington Post's Erik Wemple that the document did not come from Media Matters — which he stressed "stands with" the news outlets who have protested the DOJ's actions — but rather, a project at its sister organization called Message Matters. The Huffington Post

Media Matters sides with Justice Dept

Media Matters has weighed in on the news that the Justice Department secretly seized extensive phone records from the Associated Press, and the left-wing advocacy group is siding with the government. The Daily Caller

Politicians Take on Traditional Media

Welcome to the new reality. Today, politicians across the country are taking their narratives into their own hands. They are using the same publishing tools as traditional media outlets, and distributing their content via the same social streams. Politicians, as a result, now wield more power to control the conversation and elevate stories than ever before.Read more at Media Shift.

White House Pushes News Media Shield Law

Under fire over the Justice Department’s use of a broad subpoena to obtain calling records of Associated Press reporters in connection with a leak investigation, the Obama administration sought on Wednesday to revive legislation that would provide greater protections to reporters in keeping their sources and communications confidential. The New York Times.

IRS, AP scandals bring tea partyers, ‘lamestream media’ together

Breaking news: Conservative organizations suddenly have found common cause with one of their favorite objects of contempt — the benighted Mainstream Media. Or as the tea party queen and former Alaska governor likes to put it, the “lamestream media.” In a twist of irony, the two groups have coalesced around a common enemy: the U.S. government. The Washington Post.

The Silence of the Shams

Ten suicides, one murder, $5.5 billion in losses and more than 1,300 journalists without a job — the toll from one of India’s biggest Ponzi schemes continues to mount. The Saradha group robbed thousands of poor Indians in the state of West Bengal to make a handful of people very rich. The New York Times.

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